The attack took place in Hassokhel town, 25 kilometres (16 miles) east of Miranshah, the main town of North Waziristan.

It was the third such attack in the last four days in North Waziristan, a known stronghold of Taliban and al Qaeda linked militants.

“The US drones targeting a militant compound and a vehicle fired four missiles killing five rebels,” a Pakistani security official said.

The compound came under attack for a second time after some 20 minutes, with US drones firing four more missiles, he said.

The exact number of drones that took part in the attack was not immediately known, he added.

Another security official confirmed the attack and casualties, saying the “identities of those killed in the attack are not known but the area was known for harbouring Uzbek, Arab and other foreign militants”.

According to an AFP tally, 45 US missile strikes were reported in Pakistan’s tribal belt in 2009, the year Obama took office, 101 in 2010 and 64 in 2011.

The New America Foundation think-tank in Washington says drone strikes have killed between 1,715 and 2,680 people in Pakistan in the past eight years.