At least 17 people were killed and several more injured Thursday in multiple US drone attacks in Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal district near the Afghan border, officials said.
An intelligence official said 10 missiles fired from five US unmanned aircraft hit two compounds in Angoshga, some 25 km west of the district's main town of Miranshah.
"The attacks killed at least 15 militants and injured several more," said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "The death toll may rise since some people are believed to be still buried under the rubble of the demolished compounds."
Hours earlier, a US drone attack targeted a car carrying local Taliban fighters in Gadakai village, 35 km west of Miranshah.
"Two militants died in the attack while others managed to leave the car seconds before a missile hit it," a second intelligence official said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.
The US has carried out dozens of drone attacks in
recent months across Pakistan's restive tribal region, killing many Al Qaeda operatives. One such assault eliminated Pakistani Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud in August.
Pakistan publicly condemns US missile strikes, saying they fuel public anger by violating the country's sovereignty though Islamabad is believed to have secretly aided the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in conducting Drone raids on its soil.