Prince Harry reveals he killed 25 Taliban fighters during second tour of duty in Afghanistan

Prince Harry has reportedly revealed that he killed 25 Taliban fighters during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The Duke of Sussex, who was in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot, said that he did not think of them ‘as people’ but instead ‘chess pieces’ he had taken off the board. 

He said it was ‘not a number that fills me with satisfaction, but nor does it embarrass me’, according to the Telegraph.

This is the first time that Harry, 38, has spoken about the number of Taliban fighters he personally killed during his time in Afghanistan.

The prince was first deployed to Helmand province as a forward air controller in 2007, but his first tour of duty was cut short after foreign news organisations breached a news blackout that had been agreed. 

After he learnt to fly Apache helicopters, Harry was deployed to Camp Bastion in southern Afghanistan in 2012 where he stayed for 20 weeks.

The revelation could escalate fears for his personal safety as Prince Harry has been long-regarded as a terrorist target due to his royal status and military links.

It comes amid an ongoing legal battle with the Home Office not to provide full police protection for Harry and his family when visiting the UK.

The Duke’s barrister said he ‘does not feel safe’ when he is in the UK, having lost his taxpayer-funded security when he and his wife gave up royal duties. 

He has previously been regarded as a target for terrorists due to his two deployments to Afghanistan, as well as being a member of the Royal family. 

Harry’s tell-all autobiography Spare was due for publication on January 10 but has already gone on sale in Spain.

This is a breaking news story, more to follow.