US military sources have said their forces have called in aircraft to help reinforce troops battling Iraqis armed with tanks on the northern edge of Baghdad airport.
They said that the US forces, who reported they won control of the airport on Friday, were facing fire from inside the perimeter fence of the airport on the north side.
The US military called in air support on Saturday, which usually means Apache helicopters or warplanes, to help attack the Iraqis. The US forces say they control the runway but not some outlying areas.