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London (ANTARA News) - There is "no safer place" to be than in the presence of Gurkhas, Prince Harry told reporters in comments published Sunday, following his return from a 10-week tour in Afghanistan.

For their part, Gurkhas praised the 23-year-old royal for his good manners whilst Harry described their goat-curries as "fantastic" following a stint at an operating base in the southern province of Helmand just 500 metres (1,600 feet) from Taliban positions.

"When you know you are with the Gurkhas I think there's no safer place to be, really," he was quoted by AFP as saying.

"They're all armed with Kukhuris, so if they run out of ammunition they will charge you with their 'massive swords', as the enemy call them."

He continued: "Everyone is really well looked after here by the Gurkhas, the food is fantastic -- goat curries, chicken curries ... it's really good fun."

The Ghurkas' reputation for loyalty and fearlessness is legendary, as is their use of the Kukhuri, a long, curved knife employed in hand-to-hand combat.

They were complimentary of Harry, with Captain Yambahadur Rana saying: "We are very lucky to have a prince on our team working with us ... Definitely he's getting on very well with our boys and certainly in the Ops Room he works next to me and we have a very good working relationship."

Harry, third in line to the throne and a second-lieutenant in the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry, flew back to Britain late Saturday morning.

His deployment to Afghanistan was cut short for security reasons after news of his posting was leaked by foreign media, following a news blackout agreed between British media and the defence ministry. (*)

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