Islamabad , Pakistan ( CNN ) -- A U.S. drone strike targeting a militant compound in Pakistan 's volatile tribal areas along the border with Afghanistan has killed 16 people , Pakistani security officials said Wednesday . The officials said the attack early Wednesday struck a compound of the Haqqani Network , a group that carries out attacks against NATO forces in Afghanistan and travels back and forth across the porous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan . The strike killed 16 militants and wounded five others in the Dande Darpakhel area near Miranshah in North Waziristan , the officials said , speaking on the condition of anonymity . Officials had earlier given a higher death toll of 17 . It was n't immediately clear if any high-profile insurgent figures had been killed in the attack . The militants in the compound were from both Pakistan and Afghanistan , the officials said . The U.S. government has said strikes by the unmanned aircraft are a necessary part of the fight against militant groups . But the attacks have drawn deep opposition in Pakistan because of civilian casualties and the violation of sovereignty . Gunmen kill 11 at base camp in Pakistan . The Pakistani government `` strongly condemns the U.S. drone strike that took place in Miranshah , '' the country 's foreign ministry said in a statement . `` The Government of Pakistan has consistently maintained that drone strikes are counter-productive , entail loss of innocent civilian lives and have human rights and humanitarian implications , '' the ministry said . Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called for the United States to halt drone strikes in the country . Wednesday 's attack appeared to be the deadliest since Sharif took office last month . In May , U.S. President Barack Obama defended the use of the drone program , but he stopped short of directly commenting on the strikes in Pakistan . Relations between Washington and Islamabad have been strained since the U.S. raid inside Pakistan in May 2011 that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden . The United States carried out the raid without notifying Pakistani authorities . Ties soured further after a NATO airstrike killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at a checkpoint near the Afghan border in November 2011 . The drone strikes cause continued friction . In another outbreak of violence in the Pakistani tribal areas early Wednesday , officials said more than 50 militants attacked a checkpoint of the Frontier Constabulary , a paramilitary force . The attack to place about 40 kilometers southeast of the main city in the region , Peshawar , at a post where 15 members of the constabulary were stationed , said the force 's chief , Commandant Majeed Marwat . Six constabulary members were killed during the hour-long firefight that ensued , and seven others were wounded , Marwat said . The constabulary was unable to provide any information on militant casualties from the clash . Islamabad summons top U.S. envoy over deadly drone strike . CNN 's Saima Mohsin reported from Islamabad , and Jethro Mullen reported and wrote from Hong Kong . Journalist Zahir Shah Sherazi contributed to this report .
Pakistan : The Pakistani foreign ministry condemned the attack . The strike targets a compound of the Haqqani movement , which supports government forces . They attack a paramilitary checkpoint , killing six constabulary members . U.S. drone strikes have drawn fierce opposition in Pakistan due to civilian casualties .