The Duke of Sussex has issued a statement encouraging military veterans to support each other amid the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
Prince Harry, who served two tours of duty in Afghanistan and founded the Invictus Games sporting event for wounded former military personnel, released the joint statement with Dominic Reid, CEO of the games.
Shared on the Invictus Games Foundation’s Twitter account, the statement read: “What’s happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community.
“Many of the participating nations and competitors in the Invictus Games family are bound by a shared experience of serving in Afghanistan over the past two decades, and for several years, we have competed alongside Invictus Games Team Afghanistan.
“We encourage everybody across the Invictus network – and the wider military community – to reach out to each other and offer support for one another.”
Harry served in the British Army for 10 years, becoming the first royal in more than 25 years to serve in a war zone. In 2013, he spoke about his experience shooting at Taliban insurgents during his time as an Army helicopter pilot in Afghanistan.
The following year, he founded the Invictus Games, an international competition for injured ex-service personnel.
Harry said the games are aimed at harnessing “the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country”.
The Taliban seized control of the capital city of Kabul on Sunday, two weeks before the US is set to complete its withdrawal of troops from the country.
Thousands of Afghans are trying to flee the country, with many fearing the reimposition of harsh Islamic law the Taliban relied on when they ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.