ISLAMABAD , Pakistan ( CNN ) -- A suspected U.S. missile struck a village Wednesday in Pakistan 's tribal region , killing three Taliban militants and wounding four others , according to local officials and media reports . People inspect the damage from a suspected U.S. missile strike in northwest Pakistan last month . The strike is the 12th missile attack this year , compared with three attacks during the same period in 2008 . The missile -- fired from an unmanned drone -- was targeting a pickup truck carrying suspected militants near the town of Wana in South Waziristan in Pakistan 's Federally Administered Tribal Areas , according to Nasim Dawar , an official with the South Waziristan administration . Witnesses and intelligence sources said the drone was flying low and the militants fired at it before the missile strike , Dawar said . Two nearby shops were destroyed in the missile attack , he said . The U.S. military in Afghanistan routinely offers no comment on reported cross-border strikes . However , the United States is the only country operating in the region known to have the capability to launch missiles from drones , which are controlled remotely . Journalists Janullah Hashimzada and Nazar Ul-Islam contributed to this report .
Witnesses say missile was fired from drone plane flying low over village , official says . Militants fired back at pilotless drone , according to official in U.S. 's tribal region . Strike is this year , compared to just four in same period last year . Afghanistan military in Pakistan routinely does n't comment on reports of drone attacks .