Harare — Another Zimbabwean fighting for the British army could have been captured by Iraqi fighters, unconfirmed reports said yesterday.

A British Ministry of Defence official, Ms Kate Pike, could not confirm the reports saying they had not yet received details from their command centre in Kuwait.

"We haven't got information on that yet," Ms Pike said from London. "We are still to get details from our command centre in Kuwait."

It is estimated that up to 190 Zimbabweans are serving in the British army, which alongside its main ally, the United States, invaded Iraq to topple President Saddam Hussein from power.

Nationals from Commonwealth countries like South Africa, Jamaica, Fiji, St Vincent and from nine other African countries are said to be serving in the British army.

The British Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed the death of Christopher Muzvuru, the Zimbabwean who was killed together with an Irish man while attempting to dis-mount from their warrior fighting vehicle in Basra.

"It is with deep regret that the MOD (ministry of defence) has to confirm that piper Christopher Muzvuru of the First Batallion Irish Guards was killed in action in Basra on the 6th of April," she told The Herald in an interview.

"The family has been informed and it has given us the permission to announce the death. He (Christopher) was 21, born in Zimbabwe and enlisted into the army in February 2001," she said.

She said after training, Christopher joined the batallion in October 2001 and completed a piper's course at the Piping School in Edinburg the following year.

"He was a valued member of the battalion's Pipe Band," Pike said.

The Muzvuru family remains tight-lipped about the circumstances surrounding the death of their son, in the invasion of Iraq.

"I've no comment," said Christopher's mother in Gweru yesterday. "You can speak to them (the British). I can't speak to you now."

Officials from the British High Commission in Harare were said to have gone to Gweru to discuss funeral arrangements with the Muzvuru family.