Britain's Prince Harry has been serving on the frontline in Afghanistan since late December, the Ministry of Defense confirmed Thursday, after news of the royal's deployment was leaked by media outlets.
Military officials said the prince, a lieutenant in the British army's Blues and Royals regiment, was still deployed in the country and was "fully involved" in combat operations.
"His conduct on operations in Afghanistan has been exemplary," Gen. Richard Dannatt, the head of the army, said, adding that Prince Harry was running "the same risks as everyone else in his battle group."
Major news organizations had known of the deployment before it was officially disclosed, but had kept the information from the public according to a pre-arranged deal with the British military.
However, an Australian magazine and a German newspaper subsequently leaked the story, which was then picked up by the Drudge Report Web site.
The prince, 23, is third in line to the throne. He is serving in Afghanistan's Helmand province and is among the 7,800 British troops currently deployed in the country, according to a military statement.
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