ISLAMABAD: Militants welcomed Ramazan with a string of attacks on Saturday that claimed 21 lives and injured at least two dozen people, DawnNews reported.

Nine people, including five children, were killed and more than 15 others were injured when a suicide bomber struck the main headquarter of anti-TTP militant commander Maulvi Nabi Hanfi in Spin Thall area on the border of the tribal regions of North Waziristan and Kurram, official sources said.

Official and intelligence sources said that the suicide bomber on foot entered Mullah Nabi Hanfi’s headquarter located near Thall Tehsil of the Hangu district on the border of Kurram and North Waziristan and blew himself up.

Official sources added that those killed in the explosion included four suspected militants hailing from the Maulvi Nabi group.

Moreover, the injured had been shifted to hospitals in Hangu.

Maulvi Nabi was once part of the banned Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) but had parted ways with the organisation upon developing some differences.

In another attack, four people,including three of the same family, died of an IED explosion in Doog Darra area of Upper Dir on Saturday morning whereas eight others were injured in the attack.

The improvised explosive device “was detonated using a remote controlled device” near the town of Dhog Darra in Upper Dir district, regional police chief Ehsanullah Khan said.

The dead included the driver of the vehicle and two young men, who died on the spot whereas another person succumbed to his wounds after being shifted to the hospital.

“It was a militant act aimed at creating fear among the people in the area,” Khan said.

In yet another attack that took place on a coast guard’s checkpost in Gwadar, eight security men were killed and two other were injured.

Levies sources said the officials were on routine duty at the checkpost when unknown gunmen driving on motorbikes attacked the checkpost with rockets and gunfire.

Initially, six security men were killed and three had been wounded. Two security officials succumbed to their injuries upon being shifted to a hospital for treatment.

The attackers managed to flee from the site of the attack. However, security officials cordoned off the area and began a hunt for the gunmen.