Two US soldiers missing after military exercises in Morocco

Two US soldiers who went missing during a training deployment in southern Morocco are feared to have fallen into the ocean near seaside cliffs, a US defence official told AFP, as a large-scale multinational search continued into Sunday evening.

The troops disappeared late Saturday in the Cap Draa Training Area, triggering an extensive land, air and sea rescue operation involving US, Moroccan and allied forces.

The search was still underway shortly before 2000 GMT on Sunday, with helicopters, vessels, drones, mountaineers and divers deployed across the rugged coastal terrain.

“I can confirm this incident is not related to terrorism but appears to be an accident,” the US official said, adding that initial reports indicate the soldiers may have fallen into the ocean.

US media reports suggested the pair may have gone on a hike after completing their training, though AFP has not independently confirmed that information.

CBS News reported that helicopters were heard operating throughout the night after a base-wide headcount failed to account for the two soldiers.

Morocco’s armed forces confirmed their involvement in the search operation, highlighting ongoing military cooperation between Rabat and Washington.

The soldiers were participating in African Lion, the US military’s largest annual joint exercise in Africa, which brings together more than 10,000 personnel from more than 20 countries, including NATO allies.

Hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and Tunisia, the drills aim to enhance coordination and readiness among partner forces.

The incident echoes a previous tragedy in 2012, when a US military aircraft crash during the same exercise in the region killed two Marines and injured two others.