American drones targeted two militant hideouts and several vehicles in three separate strikes in the volatile North Waziristan tribal region of northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, killing 17 suspected Taliban fighters, officials said.

The third missile strike hit several vehicles carrying suspected members of the Haqqani network near the Afghan border, killing nine persons.

Two strikes earlier in the day targeted as many militant hideouts, killing eight suspected rebels.

The first two strikes hit compounds in Ghulam Khan, a border village located 20 km from Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan Agency.

The area is considered a hub of Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives. The drones fired four missiles at the targets.

At least two persons killed in the second strike were retrieving bodies from the site of the first attack, officials said. At least 22 suspected militants were killed when US drones targeted a vehicle and a militant compound in Mir Ali sub-division of North Waziristan on Monday.

US' Central Intelligence Agency-operated spy planes have carried out over 100 strikes in the lawless tribal belt bordering Afghanistan this year.

The attacks were stepped up following intelligence reports that militants based in the tribal areas were planning to carry out attacks on major European cities.