Pakistani officials: Suspected U.S. drone strikes kill eight

ISLAMABAD, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Two suspected U.S. drone strikes in northwestern Pakistan killed eight militants Friday, Pakistani intelligence officials reported.

They added a U.S. drone fired two missiles into a North Waziristan compound used by the Punjabi Taliban, a group allied with the Pakistani Taliban. A second drone strike attacked the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, a group affiliated with al-Qaida.

U.S. officials did not confirm the actions, but the area is known to house hideouts for various militant groups, and evidence suggests the number of drone strikes in the area has increased since the Dec. 16 attack on a Peshawar school in which 149 people, including 130 children, were killed.

Report of the strikes comes as the Pakistani army attempts to clear out militant groups in the region. Use of drones is unpopular in Pakistan and the government has officially decried them, but independent journalists are barred from North Waziristan and the attacks could not be verified.

Pakistani officials claim over 150 militants in the region have been killed in the past week.

In an address to the nation Thursday, Pakistani Prime minister Nawaz Sharif announced the start of military courts to try terrorism suspects, as well as plans to eliminate militants' access to social media, and a clampdown of unlicensed madrassas, schools in which anti-government philosophies could be taught.

Pakistan is also proceeding to execute up to 500 prisoners held on terrorist charges.