A US drone strike on Friday killed at least four people in Pakistan's troubled tribal territory bordering Afghanistan, an intelligence official said.
Two missiles fired from a pilotless aircraft struck a compound in the region of Shawal, some 50 kilometers from Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, the official said on condition of
anonymity.
The identities of those killed were not immediately known, but the region is known to be home to many Taliban and al-Qaeda rebels.
Pakistan has regularly criticized the "illegal" US drone war, describing it as "totally counterproductive and a violation of sovereignty".
But US officials believe the armed drones have proved a vital weapon in the 11-year-long international campaign against the Taliban insurgency along the Afghan border.
The strikes have also eliminated several key al-Qaeda figures based in Pakistan's tribal region.