by Siyabonga Ntshingila ;

A successful double drone attack today killed at least eight militants in the north-west of Pakistan today according to military officials.

This comes as the US intensifies its use of drones to attack suspected militant bases. The attacks started with a four missiles hitting a compound in Hamzon in the North Waziristan region. The attack left three dead. Half an hour later an attack in the Maizar Madakhel area killed five militants.

The attacks follow on from another attack on Tuesday that killed eight suspected militants in the Datta Khel area.

The militants killed today are said to belong to the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group according to local officials. The US military did not confirm its involvement in the operations but observers say they are the only force with such capabilities in the region. The Waziristan area borders Afghanistan and is known to be a sanctuary for insurgent forces.