(VOVworld) - Russian and US air forces held a joint training exercise in Syria on Tuesday to prevent dangerous encounters between their aircraft, Russia's defense ministry said.

(Photo: Reuters)

Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of Russia Colonel General Andrey Kartapolov said the exercise consisted of Russian and coalition jets practicing close encounters in a special zone at a minimum distance of three aeronautical miles. Kartapolov said Russia and Israel inform each other continually on the situation in Syrian air space.

An anonymous US official said one US fighter tried to communicate with one Russian fighter in South Central Syria to test the security regulations agreed by the two countries last month. The two fighters were 8 kilometers apart and the training lasted for 3 minutes.