MOSCOW, January 3 (RIA Novosti) – A US drone strike in Pakistan killed senior Pakistani militant leader Mullah Nazir, local security officials said on Thursday.

Nazir was killed on Wednesday night when missiles struck a house in Angoor Adda near the capital of Wana in the north-western tribal district of South Waziristan close to the Afghan border.

At least five other militants were killed in the US drone attack.

U.S. drone strikes along the Pakistani-Afghan border have intensified since US President Barack Obama took office in 2009. The Pentagon considers them to be the most effective tool in fighting against suspected militants in remote and hard-to-access areas.

Islamabad has repeatedly criticized US drone strikes on its territory as a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.