MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - A suspected U.S. drone aircraft fired two missiles on Thursday into North Waziristan, a major al Qaeda and Taliban sanctuary in northwest Pakistan, killing two people, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The United States has launched 44 such strikes on suspected militants in Pakistan this year compared with 32 last year. Pakistani forces launched an offensive against militants in the neighboring South Waziristan region on the Afghan border in mid-October.

(Reporting by Haji Mujtaba; Writing by Zeeshan Haider; Editing by Robert Birsel)