Prince Harry Issues Statement Amid Taliban Takeover Of Afghanistan

Prince Harry has issued a statement to military veterans amid the current unrest in Afghanistan. The country has been in the headlines this past week after the Taliban seized power in the region, two weeks before the U.S. was set to complete its troop withdrawal after a two-decade war.

In a joint statement with the CEO of Harry’s Invictus Games, Dominic Reid, Prince Harry encouraged military veterans to support one another as the insurgents continue to storm across the country and take over all major cities. “What’s happening in Afghanistan resonates across the international Invictus community,” read the statement.

“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,” the joint statement concluded.

The Duke of Sussex was deployed to Afghanistan twice while serving in the British Army. His service in the army lasted for 10 years.

In 2014, he founded the Invictus Games to “harness the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country.”

On Sunday, the Taliban stormed the capital city of Kabul after seizing power in several other cities in Afghanistan. As the Afghan government collapsed and the U.S. military geared up for its planned withdrawal, President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. The Taliban has since installed themselves in the presidential palace, causing fear and chaos among people.

Foreign forces flew to Afghanistan on Monday to place Kabul’s international airport under foreign military protection and assist in the hasty evacuation of Afghans. Thousands of locals flooded the tarmac on Monday morning, hoping to be able to leave the country in panic and desperation.