A US drone has killed eight Islamist militants in the first strike of the new year, targeting al-Qaeda havens in north-western Pakistan.
The unmanned aircraft hit a compound in North Waziristan tribal region, hours after Pakistani fighter jets killed 31 Taliban rebels in the neighbouring Khyber district.
The drone fired missiles at the compound being used by Uzbek militants linked with al-Qaeda, an intelligence official said.
It was the first strike in Pakistan in 2015 as the campaign was intensified since Taliban militants killed 136 children at an army-run school in north-western Peshawar city on December 16.
North Waziristan is the largest of several sanctuaries Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda still control in lawless tribal region on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Pakistani military has stepped up the offensive it launched in mid-June to regain territory from insurgents.
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