'Innocent children' killed in 'completely unacceptable' Iranian strikes

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan

Pakistan has said two "innocent children" were killed and three others wounded in strikes by neighbouring Iran in an "unprovoked violation of its airspace".

Pakistan's foreign ministry issued a strongly worded statement confirming and condemning Tuesday's attack on its Baluchistan province - which according to Iranian media reports (that were later withdrawn) were aimed at a Sunni militant group.

"This violation of Pakistan's sovereignty is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences," the foreign ministry statement said.

It added: "Pakistan has always said terrorism is a common threat to all countries in the region that requires coordinated action.

"Such unilateral acts are not in conformity with good neighbourly relations and can seriously undermine bilateral trust and confidence."

Two Pakistani security officials said the Iranian strikes damaged a mosque in Baluchistan's Panjgur district, about 30 miles inside Pakistan from the Iranian border.

Iran's state-run IRNA news agency and state television had said the attacks, using missiles and drones, targeted bases linked to the militant group Jaish al Adl.

However, confusion followed as the reports on the strikes soon disappeared.

Baluchistan province - which lies along the border of the two countries - has faced a low-level insurgency by Baluch nationalists for more than two decades.

Jaish al Adl wants more rights and better living conditions for ethnic minority Baluchis.

The militants have claimed responsibility for bombings and kidnapped Iranian border police in the past.

Iran and Pakistan have long had a tense relationship, while still maintaining diplomatic relations.

However, Tuesday's strikes inside of nuclear-armed Pakistan by Iran threaten the continuation of relations between the two countries.

The strikes also mark a significant escalation in violence across the Middle East and beyond - already unsettled by Israel's ongoing war on Hamas in Gaza.

The attack also follows Iranian strikes on Iraq and Syria on Monday.

Iran fired missiles into northern Syria targeting the Islamic State terror group - and into Iraq at what it called an Israeli "spy headquarters" near the US consulate compound in the city of Irbil.

Iraq called the attacks, which killed several civilians, a "blatant violation" of its sovereignty and recalled its ambassador from Tehran.