A large-scale search operation involving over 600 military personnel from multiple nations is underway for two United States soldiers who went missing in Morocco during joint U.S.-African military exercises. Authorities reported on Wednesday that the search is focusing on underwater caves and the Atlantic coastline.
As the search entered its fifth day, the African Lion military drills are approaching their conclusion. The two U.S. Army members disappeared last week near the Cap Draa training area outside Tan-Tan, a coastal city in southwestern Morocco, according to the Moroccan military. They are believed to have been on a recreational hike and may have fallen into the ocean.
More than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco, and other African Lion participating nations are involved in the search, covering over 45 square kilometers of coastal and open ocean areas, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. “Our two soldiers and their families remain our absolute priority,” the official stated.
The soldiers were taking part in African Lion 26, a U.S.-led exercise that began in April across four countries—Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal—with more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations. The exercise is scheduled to end Friday. Since 2004, it has been the largest U.S. joint military exercise in Africa.
The Moroccan Navy released video footage on Wednesday showing military divers inspecting caves, aircraft scanning the ocean surface, and teams of uniformed personnel and canine units combing the rocky shoreline. Several Moroccan military units are participating in the search.
Two vessels from the maritime training component of the drills have been reassigned to the search, including a Moroccan European multi-mission frigate and a French multipurpose supply vessel. A U.S. logistics vessel continues to support the exercise while assisting in the search effort, the official said.
Aviation assets involved include a U.S. UC-35 Citation jet, a U.S. Army C-12 Huron aircraft, and Moroccan Puma and Super Puma helicopters. Several technology vendors participating in the exercise have deployed unmanned aerial systems to assist with surveillance of the search area, the official added.
