At least nine persons were killed and four others injured on Saturday as U.S. drone fires three missiles in North Waziristan tribal area, northwest Pakistan, local TV channels reported.

Three missiles were fired at a house near Miranshah, the center town of North Waziristan, the private TV Express reported.

The identity of the killed has not been konwn yet.

U.S. drones regularly strike what it calls hideouts of the al- Qaeda and Taliban militants in the region.

Waziristan is the home to Taliban leaders Hakimullah Mehsood, Hafiz Gul Bahadur and Mulla Nazir who are fighting against U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan.

Since a suicide attack killed seven CIA employees in Afghanistan in December, covert U.S. drone attacks have tremendously increased in the volatile Waziristan tribal region.

A number of high-profile militant leaders, including Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud were killed in the drone attack in August last year.