They fought their way into the airport - called Saddam International - after heavy bombing on Thursday, but are still checking it over.

But the top US military officer, General Richard Myers warned that there were "still a lot of tough fights ahead".

Control of the airport is important for a number of reasons:

• It shows everyone how close the soldiers are to Baghdad
• They can also use it to fly in supplies for the troops
• It can be re-named Baghdad International, a big dent in Saddam Hussein's control
• It will be much more difficult for Saddam Hussein to escape Iraq by air

Around 1,000 US troops were used in the mission, while there are reports of 320 Iraqis being killed.

The Iraqi soldiers would like to fight inside Baghdad because they know the area better and because they know coalition soldiers have to be very careful not to hurt civilians.

Other main points:

• British troops reported to be within four miles of Basra city centre
• Kurdish fighters in the north of Iraq have taken more land from Iraqi forces