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US Secretary of State John Kerry has called his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in a bid to clarify the intent of Moscow's military build-up in Syria, the BBC reported. Mr Kerry warned that continued support for President Bashar al-Assad "risks exacerbating and extending the conflict," a statement said.

The US accuses Russia of boosting its military presence in Syria.

Russia - Mr Assad's ally in the four-year civil war - says it is helping Syria fight Islamic State militants. Moscow has increased its presence in the country just as the regime is losing ground to rebel groups. Mr Kerry's phone call to the Russian foreign minister is believed to be his third in the past 10 days.

The state department statement said Mr Kerry warned that Russia's support for President Assad was "undermining our shared goal of fighting extremism if we do not also remain focused on finding a solution to the conflict in Syria via a genuine political transition".

"Secretary Kerry also reaffirmed the US commitment to fight ISIL (Islamic State) with a coalition of more than 60 countries, of which Assad could never be a credible member, and emphasised the US would welcome a constructive Russian role in counter-ISIL efforts."
White House spokesman Josh Earnest described Moscow's support for President Assad as "a losing bet".