US soldiers reported missing during African Lion drills

Two US Army service members participating in the annual African Lion multinational military exercise have gone missing near a city in southwestern Morocco, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces said on Sunday.

AFRICOM reported the personnel were last seen Saturday evening near the Cap Draa Training Area close to the Atlantic Ocean near Tan Tan, a rugged region of cliffs and desert where parts of the exercise are staged.

“US, Moroccan and other assets from African Lion immediately initiated coordinated search and rescue operations, including ground, air, and maritime assets. The incident remains under investigation and the search is on-going,” AFRICOM said in a statement.

The soldiers were not involved in formal training at the time they disappeared, “most likely while swimming” in the Oued Draa estuary, located 25 km north of Tan-Tan, Defense Atlas, which tracks military events in North Africa, reported.

“The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces are using several means for the search, including helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles, Royal Navy aircraft, and other means,” it added.

The identities of the missing troops have not been released.

African Lion, launched in 2004, is one of the largest annual US-led military drills in Africa, which Washington says aims to strengthen interoperability and readiness among participants and NATO partner forces.

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The 2026 iteration runs from April 27 to May 8, across four countries, including Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, and Ghana. In Morocco, approximately 5,000 personnel from over 40 countries and more than 30 US-based industry partners are participating, according to AFRICOM.

The disappearance of the US troops is not the first incident linked to African Lion. In 2012, two US Marines were killed in a helicopter crash during exercises in Morocco.