U.S. service members teach members of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces map plotting basics during African Lion 2025 at Cap Draa, Tan Tan, Morocco, May 19, 2025. (Jenise Burnette/U.S. Army)
STUTTGART, Germany — A search and rescue operation is under way for two U.S. service members who went missing near a training area in Morocco, U.S. Africa Command said in a statement Sunday.
The soldiers disappeared Sunday while in the country for AFRICOM’s African Lion exercise at Cap Draa Training Area near the city of Tan Tan.
A U.S. official speaking on condition of anonymity said the service members were involved in a hiking accident while off duty and fell into the ocean.
The service members were reported missing about 9 p.m. Saturday at a cliffside on the training area, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces said on its Facebook page.
“U.S., Moroccan and other assets from African Lion immediately initiated coordinated search and rescue operations, including ground, air, and maritime assets,” the AFRICOM statement said.
The military was withholding the branch and unit of the missing service members, pending the results of the search and rescue operation, a second U.S. official told Stars and Stripes.
The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing, the command added.
“Our focus is on the service members involved and their families,” AFRICOM said.
With over 5,500 personnel from more than 30 nations, African Lion is the largest AFRICOM drill on the continent.
Led by the Vicenza, Italy-based U.S. Southern European Task Force, Africa, it is hosted in four countries, including Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal.
The Morocco phase commenced late last month and was slated to run through early May.
