Two US service members participating in an annual multinational military exercise in Morocco were reported missing in the southwestern part of the country, prompting US and allied forces to launch a search and rescue effort, AFP reported on Sunday, citing officials.
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said the incident occurred Saturday at the Cap Draa training area near Tan-Tan, a Moroccan town about 25 miles from the Atlantic Ocean.
AFRICOM said in a statement: “The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing,” adding that the rescue operation involved ground, air and sea assets.
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The Moroccan armed forces said on Facebook that “two American personnel participating in the African Lion 2026 event disappeared” on Saturday evening “near a cliff in Cap Draa in the Tan-Tan area”, adding: “Moroccan, American and other forces participating in the exercise…immediately launched a coordinated search and rescue operation involving land, air and sea assets.”
It remains unclear which branch or unit of the military the service members belonged to.
Reuters, citing US defense officials, said their disappearance was not terrorism-related and that the two service members likely fell into the ocean.
African Lion 2026
The soldiers who went missing were taking part in the African Lion 2026 military exercise, which began late last month in the southern city of Agadir in Morocco and was attended by nearly 5,000 soldiers from more than 40 countries.
This year’s edition runs from April 27 to May 8 across the four nations of Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia.
According to the AP, the African Lion began in Tunisia with active-duty members of various branches of the U.S. military, including the National Guard, Army Reserves, Air Force and Marines.
In total, more than 7,000 employees are participating in the four host countries. The military exercise has been held since 2004 and is the largest annual joint US military exercise on the continent. It usually features high-ranking military officials from Washington and several of its top African allies.
Citing US military officials, the AP said the African Lion serves as a place to strengthen regional security cooperation and improve the preparedness of participating forces for global crises.
Earlier in 2012, two US Marines were killed and two others were injured after a helicopter crashed in the southern Moroccan city of Agadir while participating in Operation African Lion.
Rabat remains a key US ally in the volatile region. As of 2020, frustrated military leaders have ousted elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, citing a failure to control violence, and increasingly distanced themselves from ties with Western states.
This is a developing story. Further details were awaited.
