Two U.S. service members have been reported missing during African Lion 2026 in southern Morocco, prompting a coordinated search-and-rescue effort involving U.S. and Moroccan forces.
Two U.S. service members have been reported missing during African Lion 2026 in southern Morocco, prompting a coordinated search-and-rescue operation involving U.S., Moroccan and other participating forces.
U.S. Africa Command said the service members were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area near Tan Tan on May 2, 2026. AFRICOM said ground, air and maritime assets have been deployed in the search.
Reuters-linked coverage said the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces also confirmed the missing personnel and the ongoing effort to find them.
African Lion is the annual multinational U.S.-led military exercise hosted across Morocco and other countries in the region.
Search operation
AFRICOM said the incident remains under investigation and that the search-and-rescue operation is continuing. Officials have not publicly said what happened to the missing service members.
Some reports suggested the personnel may have fallen near a cliff, but that detail has not been confirmed in AFRICOM’s official release.
Why it matters
The disappearance of two service members during a major multinational exercise raises immediate operational and safety concerns. The key question now is whether the search teams will locate the missing personnel and whether officials will provide further details on how the incident occurred.
Revision note
Initial automated publication.