What We Know
The two service members were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area, close to the city of Tan Tan, Morocco, on 2 May 2026.
A US defence official told the Associated Press that the soldiers were not actively taking part in any training when the incident occurred. “The day’s exercises had concluded, and, from our understanding, they were out on a recreational hike,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to discuss the matter publicly.
The Moroccan Royal Armed Forces said the soldiers were reported missing at around 9 p.m. local time, near a cliff at Cap Draa.
Defence officials confirmed to CBS News that both missing service members were US Army soldiers. Their names have not been released.
How They Vanished
A US official told ABC News that both soldiers were on a hike when they are believed to have fallen from a cliff and into the ocean. There is no indication of foul play.
Initial reports indicate they may have fallen into the ocean, a defence official told CBS News. It is believed the incident may have been a hiking accident.
A US defence official told Reuters that the incident “is not related to terrorism.”
The Terrain
The area where the US soldiers missing in African Lion 2026 were last seen is one of Morocco’s most unforgiving stretches of coastline.
The terrain around Cap Draa is mountainous, a mix of desert and semi-desert plains that meet the Atlantic coast, presenting a challenging environment for search and rescue teams.
The soldiers were last seen near ocean cliffs in the vicinity of the Cap Draa Training Area. When they did not return as expected, US and Moroccan personnel immediately initiated a joint search effort.
The Search Operation
The African Lion 2026 exercise ground to a halt on Sunday as US and Moroccan assets were redirected to the search and rescue operation.
US Africa Command confirmed that the US, Morocco and other assets from African Lion immediately initiated coordinated search and rescue operations, including ground, air and maritime assets.
The search team includes helicopters, ships, mountain rescue units and divers.
About African Lion 2026
The disappearance of the two US soldiers has cast a spotlight on one of Africa’s largest military exercises.
African Lion 2026, co-led by the US Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, runs from 20 April to 8 May 2026 and is hosted across Ghana, Morocco, Senegal and Tunisia, involving over 5,600 personnel from more than 40 nations.
This year’s African Lion 2026 exercise is the 22nd iteration of the series, designed to strengthen interoperability among US forces, NATO allies and African partner nations. The African Lion 2026 programme has been running in various forms since 2004.
Activities in Morocco alone under African Lion 2026 involve approximately 5,000 personnel from over 40 countries and more than 30 US-based industry partners, validating future warfare capabilities across multiple locations.
Not the First Incident
Previous incidents linked to the broader African Lion exercise framework highlight the risks associated with large-scale multinational drills.
In 2012, two US Marines were killed and two others injured during a helicopter crash in Morocco’s southern city of Agadir while taking part in earlier iterations leading up to African Lion 2026.
Last year, two Israeli paratroopers from the Marom Brigade were injured in a car accident in Morocco while participating in African Lion 2025, the immediate precursor to African Lion 2026.
Morocco is a major ally of the United States in a troubled region. Since 2020, military officers disillusioned with their governments’ records of stemming violence have overthrown democratically elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and began distancing themselves from Western powers.
In mid-April, the two nations signed a new ten-year military cooperation agreement, further solidifying their defence partnership.
US Africa Command says the search remains ongoing. No further details on the soldiers’ identities have been released.
