©Joel Rivera-Camacho via Unsplash
During the international exercise 'African Lion 2026,' two American servicemen disappeared without a trace on Saturday night.
'African Lion' is the largest annual joint military exercise on the African continent, organized by the U. S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in close cooperation with Morocco and other partner countries. The international military exercise took place Saturday in Agadir, in southern Morocco. The exercise runs until May 8 and brings together nearly 5,000 military personnel from more than 40 countries, as well as security and defense experts. On Saturday night, however, things went awry.
The Moroccan military reported that two U.S. servicemen suddenly disappeared Saturday around 9 p.m. local time near a cliff in the Cap Draa training area, in the Tan-Tan region on the Atlantic coast. AFRICOM confirms that an investigation was launched into the circumstances of the disappearance. It is unclear for now what happened. A search operation was immediately launched.
Moroccan, American and troops from other countries participating in the exercise launched immediate coordinated search and rescue operations, deploying resources on land, in the air and at sea. This was reported by the Moroccan military and the U.S. Command for Africa. The search in the rocky area continues.
New details have since emerged about the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the two U.S. servicemen. According to a source within the Moroccan defense apparatus, at the time of their disappearance, the two men were running a night exercise in the Cap Draa training area, which requires participating troops to practice their navigation and survival skills in rocky and coastal terrain. The exact nature of the training was not specified; after all, authorities do not want to jeopardize the search and safety of other military personnel by disclosing too many tactical details.
The relatives of the two U.S. servicemen have also since been informed. The US authorities speak of a "missing in action" situation and emphasize that as of yet there are no indications of a non-accidental cause of the disappearance.
©Joel Rivera-Camacho via Unsplash - illustration image