Two US Soldiers Missing During US Africa Command Training Morocco 2026

US  & Marocco – (Web Desk) – Two American soldiers vanished during the US Africa Command training Morocco 2026 program, last seen near rocky seaside cliffs in southern Morocco. Officials believe they may have fallen into the ocean. The incident is being treated as an accident, not a terror attack.

A Massive Search Begins

After the two soldiers failed to show up during a base-wide head count late Saturday night, a large-scale search operation was immediately launched. The search covered land, air, and sea across the Cap Draa Training Area in southern Morocco.

Search teams included:

• Military helicopters flying through the night
• Naval vessels and divers
• Drones covering the coastline
• Trained mountaineers on the cliffs

Both US and Moroccan armed forces joined hands in the operation, along with allied forces. The search was still ongoing as of Sunday evening.

A US defense official confirmed the soldiers were last seen near seaside cliffs. Reports suggest the two may have gone for a hike after their training session ended — a walk that likely turned fatal.

“This incident is not related to terrorism but appears to be an accident. Initial reports indicate the two soldiers may have fallen into the ocean,” a US defense official told AFP.

About the African Lion Exercise

The soldiers were part of African Lion — the largest annual military training exercise run by US Africa Command. The 2026 edition brought together:

• Over 10,000 participants
• More than 20 nations
• US, African, and NATO allies

The exercise is hosted across Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia every year.

This is not the first tragedy linked to African Lion in Morocco. Back in 2012, two US Marines lost their lives and two others were injured when their aircraft crashed in the same region during that year’s exercise.