Prince Harry's deployment in Afghanistan also in doubt

The increasing level of violence in Afghanistran's Helmand Province, has reportedly convinced British Army sources to have a rethink about deploying Prince Harry in that war-ravaged country.

Army sources have revealed that a single infantry battalion recently saw around a dozen of its soldiers airlifted back to Britain suffering critical injuries within a three-week period. In addition, other soldiers suffered less serious battlefield wounds treated at field hospitals.

Prince Harry, a cornet or 2nd Lieutenant in the Blues and Royals Regiment, had originally hoped to spend six months leading a 12-strong armored reconnaissance patrol in the deserts of Iraq. British Army Chief, General Sir Richard Dannatt, canceled Harry's planned deployment last month, and was said to be considering the option of sending the 22-year-old to Afghanistan.

According to The Independent, a dozen soldiers from the First Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment had to be evacuated to Britain by air in the first three weeks of May after suffering severe injuries.

The grueling casualty rate comes amid intensive fighting in several areas, including the southern frontier town of Garmsir which controls a key Taliban supply route from neighboring Pakistan, and the area around the strategically vital Kajaki hydroelectric dam in the north of the province where NATO forces launched a fresh offensive last week.

Five Britons have been killed in the last month and a total of 31 casualties were flown home to Britain in the first two weeks of May - matching the figure for the whole of April.

Last month British officers serving in Afghanistan admitted they were fighting an "undeclared war" against Iranian-backed militias, equipped with increasingly sophisticated and effective weaponry and tactical skills.