Islamabad - At least 13 Taliban militants were killed in two suspected US drone attacks in Pakistan's lawless region near the Afghan border on Tuesday, intelligence officials said. The first attack took place at around 9:30 am (0330 GMT) in the South Waziristan tribal district, a known hotbed of al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
"One missile fired from a drone destroyed a Taliban centre in the Sararogha area, killing six militants," an intelligence official said on condition of anonymity.
Only the US forces and the American Central Intelligence Agency are operating armed drones from Afghanistan to eliminate Taliban targets on both sides of the border.
Among the killed were four local Taliban and two Uzbek nationals linked to al-Qaeda.
The official said the raid critically wounded seven other militants, adding that the death toll might increase.
It was not immediately clear whether the strike targeted any high-profile militant leader, according to another intelligence official in the region.
The assault came as Pakistani security forces are believed to be preparing for a major offensive in the district, a stronghold of the slain Pakistani Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud.
Mehsud was killed in a US airstrike on the house of his in-laws early August. His close aide, Hakimullah Mehsud, has now taken up the reins of the Taliban movement in Pakistan.
Hours later, another US drone attack targeted a militant hideout in the neighbouring North Waziristan.
The attack took place in Dandy Darpa Khel village, where the fighters loyal to Afghan Taliban commander Jalaluddin Haqqani have stronghold.
"The information that we have received from our local sources, seven Taliban have died and five are injured in the strike," said a second intelligence official who also requested anonymity.
A similar attack killed 12 rebels linked with Haqqani's network that is believed to be a foiled attack on Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
Pakistan officially opposes the US drone attacks inside its territory, but analysts say such raids could not be carried out without intelligence sharing between Washington and Islamabad.
