2 US service members missing in Morocco after annual military exercise

Two U.S. service members are missing in Morocco after participating in annual military exercises called the African Lion, the U.S. Africa Command said in a statement Sunday, May 3.

The two service members were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area near the city of Tan Tan in southwestern Morocco. The incident happened on May 2 at about 9 p.m., the Moroccan military said, according to Reuters.

"U.S., Moroccan and other assets from African Lion immediately initiated coordinated search and rescue operations, including ground, air, and maritime assets," U.S. Africa Command, aka AFRICOM, said in the statement. "The incident remains under investigation and the search is on-going."

The incident is not related to terrorism, a defense department official confirmed to USA TODAY. The two soldiers, who the department confirmed are members of the U.S. Army but did not publicly identify, were last seen near ocean cliffs around the Cap Draa Training Area during scheduled training.

The two soldiers did not return as expected, and U.S. and Moroccan personnel initiated a joint search effort, the official confirmed, adding that initial reports indicate the soldiers may have fallen into the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

African Lion is an annual joint exercise hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia that aims to "strengthen interoperability among U.S. forces, NATO Allies, and African partner nations," according to the U.S. Army of Europe and Africa website. The exercise builds skills around joint all-domain operations, crisis responses and multinational interoperability, enhances regional security and supports AFRICOM's strategic objectives, the website states.

The exercise launched in Tunisia on April 13 and was scheduled to conclude on April 30. Over 7,000 personnel from more than 30 nations participated across the four host countries, including members of the U.S. National Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force, and the Marine Corps, according to AFRICOM.

Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] or on X @katecperez_.