Taliban killed in army clashes
More than 60 Taliban have been killed in clashes with the Pakistan army around the hotly contested Swat valley.
The military said it killed about 35 militants positioned near emerald mines in the valley and another 27 in neighbouring Buner, where troops have halted a Taliban push toward the capital Islamabad.
It said two soldiers have also died in a roadside bomb blast in the north of the valley.
The fighting came as Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Afghan President Hamid Karzai met President Barack Obama in Washington to discuss security in the region.
The White House is calling for a renewed effort from the government in Islamabad as part of a co-ordinated regional response to ongoing violence.
The meetings come as the security situation in Pakistan's Swat Valley worsens following the collapse of a three-month-old truce.
Thousands of people have fled the region in fear of an intensification of violence as Taliban and Pakistani forces fight for control.
On Tuesday, militants seized government buildings and laid mines in the area. Taliban spokesman Muslim Khan said militants were in control of "90 per cent" of the valley.
The breakdown of the ceasefire and surge in violence has highlighted the precarious state of Pakistan's security situation ahead of the White House summit.
Addressing a congressional committee, Mr Obama's special envoy to the region, Richard Holbrooke, said that Pakistan was not a failed state but added that it does face enormous challenges and needed US support.