Two U.S. service members participating in the African Lion 2026 multinational military exercise were reported missing on Saturday near the Cap Draa Training Area close to the city of Tan Tan in southwestern Morocco.
The incident occurred approximately 15 miles from the Atlantic Ocean in a region characterized by mountainous terrain mixed with desert and semidesert plains. United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed the details in an official statement released on Sunday morning.
“Two U.S. service members participating in African Lion 2026 were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area, near the city of Tan Tan, Morocco, May 2, 2026. U.S., Moroccan and other assets from African Lion immediately initiated coordinated search and rescue operations, including ground, air, and maritime assets,” the statement read. “The incident remains under investigation and the search is on-going. Our focus is on the service members involved and their families.”
The search and rescue operation involves U.S. forces, the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces, and other partner nations participating in the exercise. According to AFRICOM, assets from the ongoing African Lion drills were redirected without delay to support the effort.
African Lion is the U.S. military’s largest annual exercise on the African continent. The 2026 iteration began in late April and is scheduled to continue through early May across multiple host nations, including Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. It involves more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 countries, with activities in Morocco alone drawing approximately 5,000 participants from more than 40 nations in some reporting.
The drills bring together active-duty members from various U.S. military branches, including the Army, National Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force, and Marine Corps, alongside forces from partner countries.
No names, ranks, or specific units of the missing service members have been publicly released. AFRICOM has not provided further details on their branch of service or exact circumstances at the time of the report, stating that additional information will be released as it becomes available. The Moroccan military noted that the service members were reported missing around 9 p.m. local time on May 2 near the training site.
As of Sunday morning, the search remained active with no further updates on the status of the service members. AFRICOM emphasized that the investigation is continuing and that support for the individuals and their families is the command’s priority.
