Two U.S. soldiers who went missing during a training deployment in southern Morocco are feared to have fallen into the ocean near coastal cliffs, according to a U.S. defense official, as an extensive multinational search operation continued into Sunday evening.
The soldiers disappeared late Saturday in the Cap Draa Training Area, prompting a large-scale rescue effort involving U.S., Moroccan, and allied forces. Search teams have deployed helicopters, naval vessels, drones, mountaineers, and divers to comb the challenging coastal terrain.
A U.S. official said early indications suggest the incident was accidental and not linked to terrorism, with reports pointing to the possibility that the soldiers fell into the sea.
Some U.S. media outlets reported that the pair may have gone hiking after completing their training, though this detail has not been independently confirmed.
According to CBS News, helicopters were heard operating throughout the night after a base-wide check revealed the two soldiers were missing.
Morocco’s military confirmed it is participating in the search, underscoring ongoing defense cooperation between Rabat and Washington.
The soldiers were part of African Lion, the largest annual U.S.-led joint military exercise on the continent. The drills involve more than 10,000 personnel from over 20 countries, including NATO allies, and are held across multiple nations such as Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia.
The incident recalls a similar tragedy in 2012, when a U.S. military aircraft crash during the same exercise in the region resulted in the deaths of two Marines and injuries to others.
