Russia's Chief of General Staff and U.S. General hold phone talks

The U.S. 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 statement.

"[U.S. 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," Sputnik cited him as saying.

The phone call comes following media reports that four U.S. soldiers were wounded during an alleged altercation with Russian troops in northern Syria. U.S. media outlet Politico reported, citing a draft Defence Department statement and an unnamed source, that the four U.S. service members had been diagnosed with mild concussion-like symptoms. Neither side has provided official comment on the media reports.