A U.S. drone aircraft fired missiles in North Waziristan on Friday, killing at least 12 people, local intelligence officials said. Local correspondent said that a drone had fired rockets on a hotel and vehicles in the Datakhel area of North Waziristan.

Official sources confirmed that a hotel and vehicle were targeted in the drone strike, while local sources said that six of the rockets had been fired at a religious seminary.

The area has been targeted by several drone strikes and is a stronghold of militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahadar, considered close to the al Qaeda-linked Haqqani network with whom US officials have accused Pakistani spies of ties.

This is the first US drone strike in Pakistan since US forces killed Osama bin Laden in a commando raid on May 2, straining ties between the strategic allies.

Pakistan Army Chief Ashfaq Kayani had warned the United States not to conduct unilateral strikes within Pakistan territory after the Operation Geronimo. Obviously the United States ignored Kayani’s so-called warnings. It is widely understood in the geopolitics community that these drone strikes take place with the support of Pakistan’s military rulers.