US General Milley Holds Phone Talks With Russia's Chief of General Staff

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, held a phone conversation with Russian Chief of the General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov, however, the details of the call will be kept private, a Joint Staff spokesperson, Col. Dede Halfhill, said in a Wednesday statement.

"[US Gen'l Mark] Milley spoke with Chief of the Russian General Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov by telephone today," Halfhill said. "In accordance with past practice, both have agreed to keep the specific details of their conversation private."

#GenMilley spoke with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, by phone today.

In accordance with past practice, both have agreed to keep the specific details of their conversation private: https://t.co/dVUnkLPWwJ@MOD_Russia @DeptofDefense

— The Joint Staff 🇺🇸 (@thejointstaff) August 26, 2020

The phone call comes following media reports that four US soldiers were wounded during an alleged altercation with Russian troops in northern Syria. US media outlet Politico reported, citing a draft Defence Department statement and an unnamed source, that the four US service members had been diagnosed with mild concussion-like symptoms.

​Neither side has provided official comment on the media reports.

The US-led coalition of more than 60 nations has been carrying out airstrikes and other operations against Daesh* in Iraq since August 2014 and in Syria since September 2014. However, the coalition has acted in Syria without the approval of the Syrian government or the UN Security Council.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia