Over 20 people, including chief of Pakistan Taliban Hakeemullah Mehsud, were killed in Friday's US drone strike that hit Pakistan's northwestern tribal region of North Waziristan, local media reported on Saturday.

Earlier reports said at least six people were killed, but now local media, quoting official and Taliban sources, reported that over 20 people, including a number of important commanders of Pakistan Taliban, were killed in the attack.

US unmanned aircraft fired four missiles at a compound targeting its main building and a vehicle inside the compound in the Dande Darpa Khel area of Miranshah, a main district of North Waziristan tribal region that borders Afghanistan.

The attack took place soon after the top commanders of Tehrik-i- Taliban Pakistan (TTP) concluded their important meeting to devise strategy to hold peace talks with Pakistani government.

Local media, quoting Taliban sources, reported that two missiles hit the personal vehicle of Mehsud that was leaving the compound after the meeting.

TTP chief Mehsud was one of the most wanted men in Pakistan with a 5 million US dollars bounty on his head announced by the US government in September 2010.

Taliban sources, confirming the death of Mehsud and his close aids, said all the deceased had been buried at 3:00 a.m. local time at some unknown place in the North Waziristan.

According to earlier announcement by the Taliban, the TTP chief 's funeral was scheduled to be held on Saturday afternoon in North Waziristan but they buried him before time to avoid any further U. S. drone strike.

Local media reports said Mehsud's wife was also among the people who were killed in the attack.

Pakistan's federal interior minister Nisar Ali Khan said they could not confirm the news about the death of Mehsud yet, adding that the attack was an attempt to sabotage the peace process of Pakistani government.

According to the reports, a three-member group of Pakistani government was to meet a delegation of TTP on Saturday to start the first phase of the peace talks.

Soon after the attack, a big number of Taliban militants reached the site and cordoned off the area and asked local residents to leave the area.

Since this year, US drones have launched 24 strikes by firing 69 missiles in Pakistan's northwest tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, killing at least 162 people and leaving 47 others injured.

On Wednesday, Pakistan's upper house was informed that a total of 2,227 people have so far been killed in 317 US drone attacks in the country since 2008.