MINGORA, Pakistan: Pakistani security forces attacked Taliban fighters yesterday killing at least 27 of them, the military said, after the United States called on the government to show its commitment to fighting militancy.

A February peace pact aimed at ending Taliban violence in Swat is in tatters and thousands of people fled from Mingora, the region's main town, on Tuesday after a government official said fighting was expected.

The military launched attacks on the outskirts of Mingora, 130 km northwest of Islamabad, and in the nearby district of Buner, where a paramilitary force said 27 militants were killed. There was no independent confirmation of the toll.