A missile strike by a suspected US drone killed at least 10 Islamist militants in a Pakistani tribal region known as a hub of Al-Qaeda and Taliban rebels, security officials said Friday.

`Nine foreigners were among ten killed when two missiles destroyed a house in North Waziristan tribal district late Thursday night`, a top security official told AFP.

Pakistani officials normally use the term `foreigners` to describe Al-Qaeda militants. Another official earlier put the toll at five dead.

Despite protest by Islamabad, strikes by unmanned drones have continued to hit Pakistan`s tribal region bordering Afghanistan.

The latest strike came a day after the Pakistani foreign ministry said the United States was violating international law by launching missile attacks on the region.