A US drone strike in Pakistan’s volatile South Waziristan tribal region today killed at least seven militants and injured two others.

“A vehicle close to a militant compound was the target of the strike in the Shonkrai Narai village of South Waziristan,” an official said about the airstrike carried out by a CIA-operated drone.

Waziristan is among Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border which are rife with insurgents and have been strongholds of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives, among others.

Military in June last year launched an all-out operation named ‘Zarb-i-Azb’ against Taliban militants in the region, following which parts of the tribal agency was declared cleared of militants.

The army has intensified its offensive since the Taliban’s massacre of 153 people, mostly children, in a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar in December.

The official confirmed the deaths, but did not provide details regarding the identities of the deceased,  The Express Tribune reported.

The drone strike comes after a long halt as North Waziristan has been the main target of American drone strikes.

The drone strike is the 13th in the tribal area of Pakistan since the beginning of this year.

At least five militants were killed when a US drone fired two missiles at a compound in North Waziristan, officials had said on September 1.

Earlier this week, security forces imposed a curfew in South Waziristan after a convoy came under attack which left one dead and injuring five security personnel.

Meanwhile, the army is continuing its operation in the nearby Shawal Valley where a ground offensive was launched last month.

More than 85 people have been killed in drone strikes in Pakistan.