Two U.S. service members are reported missing in southwestern Morocco following participation in the annual multinational military exercise African Lion. Multiple outlets report that the Moroccan army says the service members went missing near a cliff, and that the incident is under investigation. PBS NewsHour and The Guardian add that the missing status is reported by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and that the location is near the city of Tan Tan. France 24 reports that a U.S. defense official says the service members were on a hike after the day’s exercises concluded. CBS News notes that African Lion is the largest joint military exercise on the continent.
Search and rescue efforts are underway. All sources state that an investigation is ongoing and that recovery or further information has not been fully finalized. One outlet, Free Malaysia Today, reports that Morocco finds the body of one of the two missing soldiers, while other reports describe the situation as still involving two missing service members, indicating developments may be evolving as the search proceeds.
