The Moroccan army and the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced on Sunday the loss of two American soldiers who were participating in the international “African Lion 2026” exercises, on Saturday evening in southern Morocco, amid coordinated search and rescue operations harnessing land, air and sea capabilities. The twenty-second session of these joint military exercises officially began last Monday in Agadir, with the participation of about five thousand military personnel from more than 40 countries.
Published on: 05/03/2026 - 20:07 Last updated: 05/04/2026 - 08:56
Two American soldiers participating in the international “African Lion 2026” exercises went missing on Saturday evening in southern Morocco, according to what was reported on Sunday by the Moroccan army and the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), which indicated that search operations were underway.
The twenty-second session of these joint military exercises, organized by the Royal Armed Forces in partnership with its American counterpart, officially began Monday in Agadir, in the south of the Kingdom, according to what the Moroccan army announced in a statement on its Facebook account.
Details of loss and searches
The statement indicated that two American soldiers participating in the "African Lion 2026" exercises went missing at approximately 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on May 2, 2026, "near a rocky cliff in the Cap Draa area of Tan-Tan."
The statement added, "The Moroccan and American forces immediately began, along with the forces of other countries participating in the exercise, to carry out coordinated search and rescue operations, harnessing land, air and sea capabilities." As for the US Africa Command, it announced that an investigation had been opened to uncover the circumstances of the loss of the two soldiers.
"African Lion" maneuvers with wide international participation
These large-scale exercises will continue until May 8, with about five thousand military personnel from more than 40 countries participating, in addition to specialized experts in the fields of security and defense.
France 24/AFP
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