MOSCOW, May 22. /TASS/. Mechanisms for preventing incidents between Russia and the US are still active, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said commenting on the US airstrike on the Syrian pro-government militias delivered on May 18.

"Our militaries remained in contact, the so-called de-conflicting concept is still in effect," the Russian diplomat added.

The US-led coalition did not deliver an airstrike on the Syrian government troops on May 18, Ryabkov said.

"They were not the government troops," he said. "However, that does not change our position on the incident, as we still believe that the United States once again violated international law by using military force on the territory of a sovereign state without a request of its legitimate government," he pointed out.

According to media reports, on May 18, aircraft of the US-led anti-terror coalition delivered an airstrike on the Syrian pro-government militia units within a de-escalation zone northwest of the city of Tanf. Sources in the coalition headquarters said that these units "posed a threat to the United States and its partners."