Pakistan and Iran have "agreed to de-escalate" tensions, Islamabad said, after trading deadly airstrikes on militant targets in each other's territory this week.

Pakistan said it expressed its willingness to work with Iran on "all issues" in a call between their foreign ministers after both countries exchanged drone and missile strikes on militant bases on each other's territory.

The tit-for-tat strikes by the two countries are the highest-profile cross-border intrusions in recent years and have raised alarm about wider instability in the region since the war between Israel and Hamas erupted on 7 October.

However, while Iran and Pakistan have a history of rocky relations, both sides have already signalled a desire to cool tensions.

A statement from Pakistan's foreign office said Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani had spoken to his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amirabdollahian today, a day after Pakistan carried out strikes in Iran.

Iran said yesterday's strikes killed nine people in a border village on its territory, including four children.

Pakistan said the Iranian attack on Tuesday killed two children.

"Foreign Minister Jilani expressed Pakistan's readiness to work with Iran on all issues based on spirit of mutual trust and cooperation," the statement said.

"He underscored the need for closer cooperation on security issues."

The contact follows a call between Mr Jilani and his Turkish counterpart in which Islamabad said "Pakistan has no interest or desire in escalation".

Mr Amirabdollahian, in comments quoted by Iran's state media, said: "Pakistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity are of great interest to us and bilateral cooperation is essential to neutralise and destroy terrorist camps on Pakistani soil."

The contacts came as Pakistan's Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakar began a meeting of the National Security Committee, with all the military services chiefs in attendance, a source in the prime minister's office told Reuters.

Mr Kakar cut short a visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos and flew home yesterday.

UN. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the two nations to exercise maximum restraint.

The US also urged restraint although US President Joe Biden said the clashes showed that Iran is not well liked in the region.

Islamabad said it hit bases of the separatist Baloch Liberation Front and Baloch Liberation Army, while Tehran said its drones and missiles struck militants from the Jaish al Adl (JAA) group.

The militant groups operate in an area that includes Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan and Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province. Both are restive, mineral-rich and largely underdeveloped.

Iran's top security body, in meetings yesterday headed by President Ebrahim Raisi, was told that militants had been preparing a "major operation" and the Iranian strikes on Tuesday were pre-emptive, state media reported today.