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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan military carried out overnight strikes on militant groups in Iran, an intelligence official said Thursday, as Iranian media reported several explosions near the border with Pakistan.

“I can only confirm that we have conducted strikes against anti-Pakistan militant groups that were targeted inside Iran,” a senior intelligence source not authorised to give information to the media told AFP, adding that a government statement would follow later in the morning.

It comes after Iran carried out strikes against “terrorist targets” late Tuesday in Pakistan – an attack that Islamabad said killed two children.

The missile and drone attack targeted the Jaish al-Adl group in Pakistan, Iran’s government said.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry on Wednesday denounced the “unprovoked and blatant breach of Pakistan’s sovereignty” before recalling its ambassador from Iran and blocking Tehran’s envoy – currently in Iran – from returning to the country.

Tehran and Islamabad frequently accuse each other of allowing militants to operate from the other’s territory to launch attacks, but it is rare that official forces on either side engage.