US and Moroccan forces search for two missing soldiers in Morocco

A massive search operation involving US, Moroccan, and allied forces is underway for two US soldiers who went missing during a training deployment in southern Morocco. The service members were last seen near seaside cliffs in the Cap Draa Training Area and are feared to have fallen into the ocean.

A US defense official stated that the incident appears to be an accident rather than related to terrorism. The search effort includes the use of helicopters, vessels, drones, mountaineers, and divers.

The soldiers were participating in African Lion, an annual joint military training exercise involving more than 10,000 participants from over 20 nations. The exercise is hosted by Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia.