India and Pakistan signaled they are willing to de-escalate after strikes on military bases by both sides on Saturday raised fears of all-out war and prompted warnings from the US and China.

Pakistan said early Saturday that it had struck multiple military targets, days after India launched its largest strikes inside Pakistan in decades.

The world's first drone war between nuclear-armed neighbours has erupted in South Asia. On Thursday, India accused Pakistan of launching waves of drones and missiles at three military bases in Indian territory and Indian-administered Kashmir - an allegation Islamabad swiftly denied.