The second US drone strike in less than 24 hours hit North Waziristan today, destroying a house and a nearby car, and killing at least eight people, none of whom were identified.

It was not only the second drone strike in around a day, it was the fourth in the last two weeks, suggesting a significant increase in the rate of US attacks compared to earlier this year.

The US carried out large numbers of drone strikes for years against the tribal areas, but slowed them late last year after the election of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who promised in his campaign to end the strikes.

Sharif’s government had been much more critical when the US launched strikes, and the number of strikes decreased. In recent weeks, however, they’ve been mum on the new pickup in US strikes, which risks fueling more tension, as the US attacks are hugely unpopular in Pakistan.