US and Iraqi troops swept into the insurgent stronghold of Tal Afar early today, conducting house-to-house searches and battering down walls with armoured vehicles in a second bid to clean the city of militant fighters.

Baghdad International Airport – the country’s only reliable and relatively safe link to the outside world – reopened today after being closed for a day over a cash dispute between the government and a British company providing security there.

Iraqi troops will take over security at Baghdad Airport, replacing the British company which stopped working today in a pay dispute with the government, a top Iraqi official said.

The British company at the centre of a cash row which has closed Baghdad’s International Airport today defended its decision to suspend its key operations at the site.

Baghdad’s International Airport was closed today after the British company providing security suspended operations because of a payments dispute with Iraq’s Ministry of Transport, officials said.