“US drones fired two missiles on a militant vehicle parked outside a compound. At least six militants were killed and three others were wounded,” a senior security official told AFP.

“The compound, being frequented by militants recently, was also destroyed in the attack,” he added.

Another security official and two intelligence officials confirmed the missile strike and death toll.

The official said it was not immediately clear whether any “high value target” was present at the time of the attack, which took place in the suburbs of Miramshah, the main town in the lawless tribal district of North Waziristan.

Residents said that militants had started sifting through the debris and removing the bodies.

Militants immediately cordoned off the area around the destroyed vehicle and the compound, a local tribesman told AFP on condition of anonymity.