The death toll has risen to nine following a U.S. drone strike launched late Wednesday night in Pakistan's northwest tribal area of North Waziristan, reported local media.

According to local media reports and sources in North Waziristan, the U.S. drones fired six missiles at a residential area in the village of Lataka in the Datta Khel area of North Waziristan which borders Afghanistan.

Details about the killed are not immediately known. But most of the killed are believed to be militants hiding in the area.

Wednesday's strike is the eighth of its kind since October. So far a total of 65 people have reportedly been killed in the U.S. drones this month.

The special attention attached by the local media to the U.S. drone strikes is mainly based on the following two reasons: one, such strikes have violated the territory rights of Pakistan; two, many innocent people including children and women have also been mistakenly killed in such strikes.