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Two US troops missing during African Lion exercise in Morocco, AFRICOM says

By Thomson Reuters May 3, 2026 | 7:29 AM

May 3 (Reuters) – Two U.S. service members participating in a ​joint exercise African ‌Lion 2026 were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area, ‌near ​the city ⁠of Tan ⁠Tan in Morocco on Saturday, the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on ​Sunday.

U.S., Moroccan and other partner ⁠forces have ⁠launched coordinated search ​and rescue operations, including ​ground, air, and maritime ‌assets, AFRICOM said.

The incident remains under investigation and the search ⁠is ongoing, the statement added.

African Lion is U.S. ⁠Africa ‌Command’s largest annual ⁠joint exercise, aimed ​at ‌improving interoperability among ​U.S. ⁠forces, NATO Allies, and African partner nations.

(Reporting by Ruchika Khanna in BengaluruEditing by Tomasz ​Janowski)