At least 16 people have been killed in a suspected US drone strike on a compound in north-west Pakistan, Pakistani officials say. At least two missiles were fired at a building in the North Waziristan tribal region early on Wednesday, July 3, according to BBC News.

Reports citing local officials said most of those killed were thought to be from the militant Haqqani network.

This would be the second such strike since Nawaz Sharif took over as PM and demanded an end to the attacks. The troubled border region is a known stronghold for al-Qaeda and Taliban militants.

The Pakistani government subsequently summoned a senior US diplomat to protest over that incident, condemning what it called a "violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity".

The latest strike is the biggest drone attack in Pakistan this year. Reports said it targeted a house near Miranshah, the provincial capital, and left a number of other people injured.

Drone strikes are a source of severe tension between the US and Pakistan. It is estimated that between 2004 and 2013, CIA drone attacks in Pakistan killed up to 3,460 people.