ISLAMABAD (AP) — Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday soon after arriving in the capital, Islamabad, for a three-day visit, officials said.

The meeting came as part of efforts by Islamabad and Tehran to mend ties which had been briefly strained in January when the two sides carried out tit-for-tat strikes targeting militants accused of attacking their security forces.

Raisi was welcomed at the airport by Housing Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada and other officials. Authorities have deployed hundreds of additional police and paramilitary forces to ensure security during the visit.

Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant violence in recent months, mostly blamed on Pakistani Taliban and insurgents targeting security forces in Pakistan and neighboring Iran.

Sharif welcomed Raisi with a guard of honor ceremony in front of the premier’s office, broadcast by the state-run Pakistan Television.