PESHAWAR - At least 17 persons were killed when a US drone fired a barrage of missiles on various locations of North Waziristan on Tuesday. Sources said that the first strike destroyed two compounds and killed five persons in Ghulam Khan village, 20 kilometres east of Miranshah. Soon after the attack, US drone fired two missiles on the rescue teams who were busy retrieving the dead and injured persons from the debris. While another strike was carried out by unmanned aircraft in Nawab village of North Waziristan Agency which resulted killing of 10 militants. At least 10 people were killed when US drones fired missiles at three vehicles, one security official told. The areas targeted are strongholds of the Taliban and al-Qaeda linked Haqqani network. The identities of the deceased could not be ascertained till filing of this report. However, according to local sources, civilians were targeted in these attacks. Agencies add: Three US missile strikes in North Waziristan on Tuesday killed at least 17 suspected militants, said intelligence officials. Around 116 such missile strikes have been launched this year - more than doubling last years total. Nearly all have landed in North Waziristan. The first strike Tuesday hit a house in the Ghulam Khan area of North Waziristan, killing six, two intelligence officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorised to speak to the media. The officials did not know the identities of those killed but said they were militants. About three hours later, as people went to the site to pick up the bodies, more missiles hit the same spot. The intelligence officials said civilians might have been among those killed in the second strike. The officials said the third strike hit some vehicles carrying alleged militants who may belong to the Haqqani network. Nine militants were killed in the attack. The strikes come in the final days of a year that has seen an unprecedented number of such drone-fired attacks as part of a ramped-up US campaign. On Monday, US missiles struck two vehicles in another part of North Waziristan, killing at least 21 alleged militants in two vehicles, intelligence officials said.