Two Service Members Are Missing After Military Maneuvers in Morocco

  The two Army soldiers were reported missing during a joint military exercise on Saturday near Cap Draa Training Area, a coastal area in southwestern Morocco.

A United States and Moroccan military exercise in Morocco in 2024.Credit...Mosa'Ab Elshamy/Associated Press

Leo SandsEric Schmitt

By Leo Sands and Eric Schmitt

May 3, 2026

 The U.S. Army is searching for two service members who went missing while taking part in a joint military exercise in Morocco, according to a statement released by the U.S. Africa Command on Sunday.

The service members were reported missing on Saturday near Cap Draa Training Area, in southwestern Morocco, along the Atlantic Ocean. They had been participating in African Lion 2026, a large joint military exercise held annually by U.S. forces, NATO countries and African nations.

 A U.S. military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, said the two Army soldiers were out on an early evening hike at a training range and were believed to have fallen off a cliff into the sea.

 A sweeping multinational search effort — including ships, ground teams and reconnaissance drones — ensued immediately after the soldiers went missing, the official said. 

The search includes Moroccan SA-330 Puma and AS332 Super Puma helicopters; a U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopter; Moroccan and American surveillance drones; French and Moroccan navy frigates; and Moroccan mountaineers and divers, the official said.

 “The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing,” said the statement, which did not identify the missing soldiers.

 Around 5,000 personnel from over 40 countries were scheduled to participate in this year’s African Lion exercises in Morocco from April 27 to May 8.

 U.S. Africa Command did not immediately respond to a request for further information on Sunday.

Eric Schmitt is a national security correspondent for The Times. He has reported on U.S. military affairs and counterterrorism for more than three decades. Contact him securely on Signal: ericschmitt.36.