Prince Harry has drawn sharp criticism from Afghans following the revelation in his memoir 'Spare' about his time in the British Army.
Harry has claimed in the book that he killed 25 people in Afghanistan reigniting anger in the country over widespread civilian deaths in British and US coalition-led airstrikes.
Among the families killed during British airtstrikes, one was of Mullah Abdullah. Abdullah lost nine relatives in 2011 when his house was hit.
He regularly visits the graveyard where his family members are buried - including both of his parents, his sister and brother and five other relatives who were in their house at the time of the strike.
"We ask the international community to put this person (Prince Harry) on trial," Abdullah said. "We should get compensation for our losses, we lost our house, our life and family members, we lost our livelihood and also our loved ones."
In another district of Helmand, Nabi Akaa recalled the horror when he lost 11 members of his family to British airtstrikes in 2010. The victims were mainly women and children.
“The plane came back and targeted that house over there, the house was full of women and children, for one hour we could hear crying from that house and after that everything was quiet,” he said.
Students and teachers at the University of Helmand held a small protest within the institution premises against the Prince's claims saying, “The cruelties which have been committed by Prince Harry, his friends or by anyone else in Helmand or anywhere in Afghanistan are unacceptable and cruel. These acts will be remembered in history, nor will Afghanistan’s history forget these actions.”
The demonstrators held posters written in Pashto, "We condemn the cruel acts of occupiers all over the country."
Helmand provincial Governor’s Media director, Mawlavi Mohammad Qasim believes Harry’s statement exposes the real face of Western intervention.
“We were aware of their actions, but they had never accepted it by themselves. Now that they have accepted it, it is a clear indication of their cruel and horrific actions,” said Qasim.
Harry spent a decade in the British Army, serving twice in Afghanistan.
He says that on his second tour, as an Apache helicopter co-pilot and gunner in 2012-2013, he killed 25 Taliban militants.
(with AP inputs)
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