US drone strikes in N Waziristan welcome Nawaz Sharif to office

A suspected US drone attack has killed seven people in northwest Pakistan, according to officials.

Two missiles hit a compound in a village in the North Waziristan tribal area, close to the Afghan border. The missiles reportedly hit the remote village of Shokhel in the Shawal valley, some 100 km southwest of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan.

It is the first drone strike since Nawaz Sharif took over as Pakistan's prime minister and demanded an end to the attacks, reports BBC News.

Last month US President Barack Obama announced stricter targeting rules for the drone campaign against militant suspects.

Earlier this week, Sharif said Pakistan's sovereignty must be respected, and that it was necessary to work out a joint strategy to stop US drone strikes.

Sharif, who was ousted in a 1999 coup, is serving an unprecedented third term as PM.

The drone issue is hugely controversial in Pakistan, where parts of the government and military have often been accused of ignoring or even condoning some of the drone strikes.

It is estimated that between 2004 and 2013, CIA drone attacks in Pakistan killed up to 3,460 people.