Two U.S. Army service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after participating in the African Lion annual multinational military exercises. The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces announced that a search and rescue operation has been launched to locate the missing personnel.
The incident occurred on Saturday, May 2, around 9 p.m. near the Cap Draa Training Area near the city of Tan Tan, close to the Atlantic Ocean. A U.S. defense official stated that the soldiers went missing while on a hike after the day's exercises had concluded. They were last seen near seaside cliffs and may have fallen into the ocean.
African Lion is the largest U.S. annual joint military exercise on the continent and has been running since 2004. The current exercise, which began in April and is scheduled to end in early May, involves the U.S., Morocco, NATO, and allied African countries, including Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. Military officials state the engagement strengthens regional security cooperation and refines the readiness of participating forces for global crises.
As of Monday, search and rescue efforts remain underway. AFRICOM stated that the incident remains under investigation.