美国军方说,它们没有参与一次直升飞机袭击，索马里南部一个镇的居民星期天报告了这次袭击。摩加迪沙南部梅尔卡的目击者说，一架武装直升机向一座建筑射击，激进组织青年党的指挥官员们当时可能正在这座建筑中会面。目击者说，飞机在伊斯兰武装开火还击后飞走。目前还没有伤亡报告。
美联社和纽约时报引述军方官员的话说，美国在该地区没有部队，也没有参与此次袭击。美联社还引述欧盟和非盟驻该地区官员的话说,他们也没有参与此次袭击。
美国去年在巴拉维镇发动了一次直升飞机袭击，打死青年党一名领导人纳卜汉。
The U.S. military says it was not involved in a helicopter attack reported by residents of a town in southern Somalia on Sunday.Witnesses in Merka, south of Mogadishu, say a helicopter gunship fired on a building where commanders of the militant group al-Shabab may have been meeting.They say the aircraft flew away after Islamist forces fired on it. No casualties were reported.
The Associated Press and New York Times cite military officials as saying the U.S. had no forces in the area and did not play a role in the attack.AP cites officials from regional European Union and African Union forces as saying they were not involved either.
A U.S. helicopter strike last year in the town of Barawe killed an al-Shabab commander, Salah Ali Salah Nabhan.