Under-fire Prince Harry says he revealed he'd killed 25 Taliban fighters - a move feared to have put British troops and his own family in danger - for his own healing.
The Duke of Sussex, whose tell-all book Spare was published today, came under fire after claiming to have taken out more than two dozen enemies during two tours of Afghanistan.
Senior military figures and security experts blasted Harry, who quit the royal family in 2020, amid fears his comments could lead to UK forces being targeted - with a former Navy chief branding him "very stupid".
It sparked protests in the Helmand province, with demonstrators carrying posters showing Harry's portrait with a red 'x' across it.
But the Duke told People magazine he revealed the number "for my own healing journey" and "in the hopes it will help others".
The Taliban branded Harry a "big mouth loser" after announcing how many kills he'd made.
Harry said he gunned down members of the fundamentalist group as if they were "chess pieces" taken off the board.
Speaking to People he said: "This is something each soldier has to confront, and in the nearly two decades of working alongside service personnel and veterans, I've listened to their stories and have shared mine.
"In these conversations, we often talk about the parts of our service that haunt us — the lives lost, the lives taken.
"But also the parts of our service that heal us and the lives we've saved."
Military veterans fear terrorists could target the Invictus Games to avenge the 25 Taliban fighters killed by the ex-royal.
Experts warned security at this autumn’s event for wounded soldiers will be “a nightmare”.
There are also fears Harry has jeopardised any event he attends.
Admiral Lord West, former head of the Navy, told the Sunday Mirror: “The Invictus Games is very much labelled to him and so I would have thought the threat level there will definitely be higher.
“There will be serious security issues because of what he said. Measures will have to be put in place to protect the veterans.
“And there will be people who, given half the chance, will want to do something.”
He called Harry “very stupid” for giving details of his Taliban kills.
The military chief was one of the many voices condemning the duke for his remarks.
Harry “played beautifully into the hands of the Taliban”, according to international security specialist Will Geddes.
He said Harry's decision to reveal his "kill-count" was "stupid, unnecessary, immature and irresponsible" and described him as a "loose cannon" now operating outside the Royal Family.
In response to the prince's controversial claims, Taliban warlord Anas Haqqani tweeted: "Mr Harry! The ones you killed were not chess pieces, they were humans; they had families who were waiting for their return.
"Among the killers of Afghans, not many have your decency to reveal their conscience and confess to their war crimes."
