MIRANSHAH: US drone strikes killed at least four militants, destroying an insurgent compound and a vehicle in Pakistan's district of North Waziristan on the Afghan border Thursday, officials said.

The Pakistani officials said unmanned American aircraft fired four missiles into the Razmak area, 60 kilometres (40 miles) south of the region's main town Miranshah in the Taliban and Al-Qaeda infested badlands.

Officials were divided on the death toll, with three different sources claiming the numbers of dead were variously four, five and seven.

The fresh strike came one day after a major salvo of US missiles destroyed a Pakistani Taliban base on the Afghan border with South Waziristan, killing up to 18 militants including possible Al-Qaeda fighters, according to officials. AGENCIES