WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Russia has been “very helpful” in working to calm the situation near the southern Syrian town of At Tanf, the Pentagon said on Friday, a day after the United States shot down a pro-Syrian-government drone in the area.

Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis told reporters that the situation near At Tanf had calmed down in the past day and that was largely due to Russian efforts to communicate U.S. concerns to pro-Syrian government forces in the area.

Davis said there had been multiple conversations between the U.S. and Russian military, including at senior military levels.