Deadly US drone strike hits Pakistan

A U.S. drone strike in the Pakistan tribal area of North Waziristan has killed at least three people, local sources told Al Jazeera.

The attack took place in the village of Heso Khel just east of Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, which is known as a stronghold of Taliban and al-Qaeda-linked fighters.

Two missiles hit a house in the town on Saturday morning, local sources said.

A security official in the area told the AFP news agency that the four people were "militants."

U.S. drone attacks have incited deep anger in Pakistan, but Washington views them as a vital tool in the fight against Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters in the lawless tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan.

The Pakistan government has repeatedly protested against drone strikes as a violation of its sovereignty, and their use has decreased in recent months.

During a visit to Islamabad last month, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested that drone strikes targeting Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan could end "very soon" as the threat of insurgency recedes.

Kerry made the remarks in an interview with Pakistan state TV following a day of talks with the newly elected government in Islamabad, which demanded end to the drone strikes.

It was the first time that such a senior U.S. official had indicated that there could be a definitive end to the program, which the CIA has in the past called an effective counter-terrorism weapon.

Al Jazeera and wire services