Rabat, May 3 (SANA) The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) and the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces said on Sunday that two U.S. soldiers taking part in the African Lion 2026 exercises went missing on Saturday near the Cap Draa training area in Tan-Tan, southern Morocco.
Both sides said in separate statements that U.S., Moroccan and other participating forces launched coordinated search and rescue operations across land, air and sea.
Moroccan authorities said the soldiers were reported missing near a rocky cliff, adding that investigations are ongoing and search efforts continue.
African Lion is the largest annual joint military exercise led by AFRICOM, aimed at enhancing interoperability between U.S. forces, NATO members and partner countries in Africa.
This year’s drills began on April 27 and are scheduled to run until May 8 across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia.
AFRICOM said most of the exercises are taking place in Morocco, involving about 5,000 troops from more than 40 countries, and aim to strengthen regional security cooperation and improve readiness to respond to global crises.
M.Q.R
