Russia has reportedly suspended a communications hotline with Pentagon on Syria as the two countries clashed in United Nations over US missile strike in the war-torn country.
Quoting a spokesman for the US Department of Defence, news agency TASS reported that Russia has formally notified the United States in this regard.
The TASS report, however, added that the spokesman refused to elaborate on the issue.
Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry's official spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov had said that Russia was suspending the communications channel, which the two sides established in line with a memorandum of understanding on prevention of incidents and ensuring of flight safety in Syrian airspace.
"The US military attache in Moscow was summoned to the Defense Ministry to get an official note, which said the Russian side was suspending as of 00:00 hours on April 8 the observance of its obligations under the memorandum of understanding on prevention of incidents and ensuring of flight safety in the course of operation in the Syrian Arab Republic," Major General Igor Konashenkov said.
Russia decided to suspend the communication hotline after the US launched airstrikes on the Shayrat airfield of the Syrian air forces in the Homs Governorate.
According to Syrian state media , seven people, including four children, were killed in the US air strikes.
