U.S. and Moroccan forces are conducting search and rescue operations after two U.S. Army soldiers went missing after taking part in a training exercise in Morocco on Saturday.
On Sunday, U.S. Africa Command reported that two American service members who were participating in the ongoing African Lion 2026 exercise at the Cap Draa Training Area near the city of Tan Tan had been reported missing on May 2 after an unspecified incident.
“U.S., Moroccan and other assets from African Lion immediately initiated coordinated search and rescue operations, including ground, air, and maritime assets,” AFRICOM’s statement said. “The incident remains under investigation and the search is on-going.”
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An American defense official told Task & Purpose that the two are Army soldiers who were exploring the training area at the end of the day’s activities.
“The soldiers were last seen near ocean cliffs in the vicinity of the Cap Draa Training Area during scheduled training,” the defense official told Task & Purpose. “When they did not return as expected, U.S. and Moroccan personnel immediately initiated a joint search effort.”
The Moroccan military said that the soldiers were reported missing around 9 p.m. local time on Saturday.
Several Moroccan helicopters and at least one American CH-47 Chinook helicopter are searching for the soldiers. Search and rescue teams are also using drones and a frigate. Moroccan mountaineers and divers are also participating.
Several elements of the U.S. military are taking part in African Lion 2026 at Cap Draa, including the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, according to photos posted to the military’s Defense Visual Image Distribution Service, or DVIDS, database.
African Lion is the largest U.S.-led joint exercise on the African continent, having started in 2004. It’s led by U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa. This year’s event, held in Ghana, Morocco, Tunisia and Senegal, started April 20 and runs through May 8, with more than 5,000 personnel from 40 nations taking part.
Tan Tan is located near the Atlantic coast in southwestern Morocco, close to the border with Algeria and the territory of Western Sahara.
Update: 5/3/2026; This story was updated with comments from a U.S. defense official.
