At least four people were killed on Thursday when a US drone fired on a compound in Mir Ali area, intelligence officials said. The district is a hub for al Qaeda-linked Taliban rebels. "A US drone fired two missiles on a compound, destroying it," an intelligence official told dpa on the condition of anonymity. Locals pulled out four bodies from debris, he added. The toll could not be confirmed independently as media and rescue workers have limited access to the area.

At least three unmanned aircraft circled the area after the missile strike, creating fear among the tribesmen, another intelligence official who also sought anonymity said.

Copyright Deutsche Presse-Agentur, 2012