The logo of the communication campany verizon is seen on a screen in front of an American flag.

Verizon slammed Huawei's lawsuit against it as a "PR stunt" on Thursday, claiming it is a "sneak attack on our company and our nation."

Huawei sued Verizon in the U.S. alleging the American telecoms firm infringed patents held by the Chinese network equipment maker. The lawsuit was filed in the early hours of Thursday morning.

But in a strongly-worded statement, Verizon took aim at Huawei's actions.

"Huawei's lawsuit filed overnight, in the very early morning, is nothing more than a PR stunt," a Verizon spokesperson told CNBC by email.

"This lawsuit is a sneak attack on our company and our nation. The action lacks merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending our company and our nation."

In a follow up statement, Verizon called Huawei's lawsuit an attack on the "entire tech ecosystem."

"Huawei's real target is not Verizon; it is any country or company that defies it," the spokesperson said.