Britain's Prince Harry trains for Iraq: Report

London, Jan 14: Britain's Prince Harry, an army officer andthird in line to the throne, will receive training to prepare fordeployment in Iraq, a newspaper said today. Harry's regiment, the Blues and Royals, has been earmarked to serve in Iraq from April, according to the News of the World. Some 7,100 British troops are stationed mostly in the south of Iraq where they are battling insurgents.

A spokesman for Clarence House, which speaks on behalf of the princes, would not confirm the newspaper report.

''No decision on deployment has been made yet,'' the spokesman said.

Defence officials said earlier this year it was intended thatHarry undertake a full range of operations but his deployment orpresence in a conflict zone may be reconsidered if he were to become aspecific target.

The Ministry of Defence was not immediately available for comment.

Harry, 22, and other members of his regiment will attend anOperational Training and Advisory Group (OPTAG) course this week, whichis only given to troops heading for a war zone, the News of the Worldsaid.

The two-day course will drill Harry and his comrades in basicIraqi Arabic -- part of the army's strategy to win hearts and minds.The soldiers will also be trained in local customs and living inextreme conditions, the paper said.

Prince William is also in the Blues and Royals but cannot serve in a war zone because he is second-in-line to the throne.

Harry, whose mother Princess Diana died in a Paris car crash when he was 12, is a Second Lieutenant in the Household Cavalry.

Once dubbed a wild child for underage drink and drug antics, hemade it clear in an interview to mark his 21st birthday that he wouldnot shy away from action and the ministry stressed that he had joinedto become an ''operational soldier''.

Ministry of Defence figures show that 129 British military personnel have died in Iraq since the 2003 invasion.

Reuters