 Pakistan has been publicly critical of US drone attacks |
At least 40 people have been killed in a suspected US missile strike in north-west Pakistan, local officials say.
They told the BBC three suspected US drones had fired missiles at militants near Ladha in South Waziristan.
It is the third strike in two days, after 19 reportedly died in attacks earlier on Wednesday and on Tuesday.
Separately the Pakistani army said a Taliban leader in Swat valley, Maulana Fazlullah, has been wounded, but there has been no independent confirmation.
Army spokesman, Major-General Athar Abbas, told reporters:
"We have credible information that Maulana Fazlullah has been injured... But it is not possible to confirm whether he is alive or not."
Maulana Fazlullah is a radical cleric who commands the Pakistani Taliban in the Swat Valley.
Analysts describe him as the "architect" of the two-year uprising aimed at enforcing Sharia law in the Swat Valley, where troops have been engaged in a bitter campaign to oust Islamist fighters.
Critical
The latest Waziristan attacks included the targeting of a stronghold of Pakistan's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, in South Waziristan.
US officials believe he is providing both the Taliban and al-Qaeda with a refuge in the region. They are offering a reward of $5m for his capture.
There have been dozens of drone strikes since last August, killing hundreds of militants and civilians.
Most of the strikes have taken place in the tribal regions of North and South Waziristan.
The latest attack took place on the road between Ladha and another town, Sararoga, local officials said. At least five missiles were fired at vehicles carrying Taliban fighters, they said.
Earlier, at least three missiles hit a suspected training camp for militants in South Waziristan, witnesses said.
Officials said the missiles were fired at a camp in the thickly-forested and mountainous Karwan Manza area, some 10km south-east of Ladha.
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The area is close to the border with Afghanistan.
Officials say that a Taliban hideout was completely destroyed in the attack - as was another hideout in Tuesday's raid, which took place 20km from Wednesday's strike.
Local administration officials say the Taliban took away bodies from Wednesday's attack after clearing away the debris.
The BBC's Syed Shoaib Hasan in Islamabad says that the increased number of drone attacks has caused a great deal of insecurity among Baitullah Mehsud's fighters.
Our correspondent says that unlike previous campaigns, the army seems bent on following through with a directive from the government to destroy his militant network.
The militants have claimed responsibility for numerous suicide bombings and other attacks which have killed scores inside Pakistan.
Dangerous region
Security officials say Baitullah Mehsud's days are now numbered, but the Taliban leader has manoeuvred himself out of seemingly hopeless situations in the past.
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For the moment, our correspondent says that he remains very much in control of what US officials say is the world's most dangerous region.
Pakistan has seen a number of drone strikes in the past year. Last month, a suspected drone struck twice within hours killing more than 60 people - most of them militants who had gathered for the funeral of those killed in the first strike.
Pakistan has been publicly critical of drone attacks, arguing that they kill civilians and fuel support for the militants.
The US military does not routinely confirm drone attacks but the armed forces and the Central Intelligence Agency operating in Afghanistan are believed to be the only elements capable of deploying drones in the region.
In March, US President Barack Obama said his government would consult Pakistan on drone attacks
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