THOUSANDS of residents were fleeing Baghdad in a stream of bumper-to-bumper vehicles yesterday, after US troops seized the city’s Saddam International Airport.

Thousands of Iraqi’s today ignored Saddam Hussein’s exaltations to stay and fight and were fleeing Baghdad in a stream of bumper-to-bumper vehicles after US troops seized the capital’s airport.

US forces were reported to be battling Iraqi troops dug in at Baghdad’s Saddam Hussein international airport tonight.