RABAT, Morocco- A major search and rescue operation is underway in Morocco after two US soldiers went missing during a military training exercise, according to US defence officials.
The soldiers were last seen near seaside cliffs close to a training area in southern Morocco and may have fallen into the Atlantic Ocean, a US defence official told AFP.
They disappeared during the African Lion 2026 exercise, a large multinational military training involving US and partner forces in the region.
US and Moroccan authorities have deployed air, sea, and ground teams to search the area where the soldiers were last seen.
The operation includes helicopters, patrol vessels, and specialist rescue units.
Officials say the circumstances of the disappearance remain under investigation. There has been no indication of foul play.
The identities of the missing soldiers have not yet been released, and their families have been informed.
African Lion is the largest annual US-led military exercise in Africa, designed to improve coordination and readiness between participating forces.
The training exercise, known as African Lion, ground to a halt Sunday as the U.S. and Moroccan assets were redirected to the search and rescue operation, officials told a CBS News crew on the scene.
African Lion is the largest annual joint military exercise led by AFRICOM, one of the U.S. Department of Defense’s 11 unified combatant commands.
It brings together thousands of troops from the United States, African partner nations, and NATO allies to train for modern warfare across land, air, sea, cyber, and space domains.
This year’s exercise involves more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations, with a growing focus on advanced technologies, including drones, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence, according to the Associated Press.
The exercise occurs in a vast desert where the Sahara Desert meets the Atlantic Ocean near the Cap Draa Training Area, outside the city of Tan Tan.
In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed during a helicopter crash while taking part in African Lion, according to the Associated Press. Two others were injured in the incident.
