Two U.S. soldiers went missing during a joint military exercise in Morocco, with a possibility that they fell into the sea. Officials from the U.S., Morocco, and allied forces are conducting a large-scale search.
On Sunday, 3 May 2026 GMT+7, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced that two U.S. military personnel went missing in southwestern Morocco after participating in the annual multinational military exercise in this North African country.
A U.S. security official, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to release information publicly, revealed that the missing personnel are U.S. Army soldiers who disappeared during a hiking activity.
"They were not participating in any exercise at the time. The exercise had concluded for the day, and to our understanding, they went hiking for leisure," the official stated.
Additionally, another U.S. security official told AFP that the last sighting of the two soldiers was near a cliff by the sea, and they may have fallen into the ocean.
Currently, the militaries of the U.S., Morocco, and allied forces have launched a major search operation by land, air, and sea.
The Moroccan military reported that the incident occurred on Saturday at approximately 21:00 GMT+7 near the Cap Draa training area close to the city of Tan Tan, adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. The terrain there is mountainous, featuring a mix of desert and semi-desert plains.
The exercise, called African Lion, began in April and covers four countries: Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco. It involves more than 7,000 military personnel from over 30 countries and is scheduled to conclude in early May.
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Source:cna