BRUSSELS, January 4. / TASS /. NATO has "suspended the work of its mission in Iraq to train personnel for the local army" due to growing instability in the country after the US airstrikes, acting NATO spokesperson Dylan White told TASS on Saturday.

"NATO is monitoring the situation in the region very closely. We remain in close and regular contact with the US authorities. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and the US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper spoke by phone following the recent developments," White said.

"The NATO mission in Iraq consists of several hundred personnel. At the request of the Iraqi government, they are helping to strengthen the Iraqi forces and prevent the return of ISIS (Islamic State terrorist group outlawed in Russia). The safety of our personnel in Iraq is paramount. We continue to take all the precautions necessary. NATO’s mission is continuing, but the training activities are currently suspended," he said.