US drone strike kills four in North Waziristan

At least four people were killed when a US drone fired two missiles in the volatile Pakistani region of North Waziristan, security officials said.

They said the missiles hit a house close to the town of Miranshah.

The strike comes a week after President Barack Obama issued new guidelines for tighter oversight of the drone programme and stricter targeting rules.

US drone strikes are a major point of contention in Pakistan, and represented key issue in its recent elections.

A Pakistani Foreign Ministry official condemned the strike as a breach of sovereignty, reported Reuters news agency.

"Any drone strike is against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan and we condemn it," the official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.

It was unclear whether those killed were the intended targets. Four people were also reported to be wounded.

The Afghan-Pakistan border region is home to a variety of local and Afghan militant groups including fighters linked to al-Qaeda.

Pakistan's security forces have been battling the Taliban in the mountains of North Waziristan for years.

More recently, US forces have used drone strikes in the region as part of their campaign against the Taliban across the border in Afghanistan.