Royal Watch News

Prince Harry defended by MoD

Jan 3, 2013, 12:01 GMT

Prince Harry

The Ministry of Defence has branded claims Britain's Prince Harry kills 'innocent Afghans' while drunk as 'absurd'.

The 28-year-old royal is currently serving on the frontline in Afghanistan but the country's former prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar alleged the prince was intoxicated as he went around killing people.

But now the MoD has hit back at his comments and said rules prohibit troops from consuming alcohol while deployed on operations.

A spokesman said: 'The suggestion that any member of the UK armed forces deployed on operations operates under the influence of alcohol is simply absurd - not least because the consumption of alcohol by UK military personnel is not permitted under any circumstances while deployed in Afghanistan.

'UK troops deployed and remain in Afghanistan to protect our national security by removing what was a safe haven for international terrorism. Now, it is Afghan forces that now have lead security responsibility for around 75 per cent of the population in the country and lead up to 80 per cent of conventional partnered operations.

'It is this sort of progress that has allowed almost 60 per cent of UK bases in Helmand to be shut or handed over and will allow us to leave a stronger more secure Afghanistan when combat operations cease by the end of 2014.'

Speaking about Harry - who was reported to have killed a Taliban chief in an attack in October - Gulbuddin said: 'The British prince comes to Afghanistan to kill innocent Afghans while he is drunk. He wants to hunt down Mujahideen with his helicopter's rockets, without any shame.

'During the Mujahideen's attack on the American base the prince saw that he was the one about to be hunted and was searching for a hole in which to hide himself.'