2 U.s. Soldiers Missing After Military Exercises In Morocco

CASABLANCA, Morocco — Two U.S. Army soldiers are missing successful southwestern Morocco aft taking portion successful yearly multinational subject exercises successful nan North African country, nan United States Africa Command said Sunday.

The soldiers who went missing while connected a hike, a U.S. Defense charismatic told nan Associated Press connected information of anonymity arsenic they were not allowed to speak publically astir nan issue.

“They were not actively taking portion successful immoderate training. The day’s exercises had concluded, and, from our understanding, they were retired connected a recreational hike,” nan charismatic said.

The United States Africa Command, known arsenic AFRICOM, said nan U.S., Morocco and different countries participating successful nan workout called African Lion person launched a hunt and rescue operation.

“The incident remains nether investigation and nan hunt is ongoing,” it said successful a statement.

The soldiers went connected their hike astir 9 p.m. Saturday, nan Moroccan subject said, adjacent nan Cap Draa training area adjacent Tan-Tan, successful nan country’s southwest adjacent to nan Atlantic Ocean. The terrain is mountainous, a operation of godforsaken and semi-desert plains.

The hunt squad includes helicopters, ships, upland rescue units and divers, nan U.S. Defense charismatic told nan AP.

“The soldiers were past seen adjacent water cliffs successful nan vicinity of nan Cap Draa training area during scheduled training. When they did not return arsenic expected, U.S. and Moroccan unit instantly initiated a associated hunt effort,” nan charismatic added.

The warfare games workout started successful April and runs crossed 4 countries, including Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal. It is scheduled to extremity successful early May.

The workout began successful Tunisia pinch active-duty members of different branches of nan U.S. military, including nan National Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force and Marine Corps.

In all, complete 7,000 unit from much than 30 nations are participating crossed nan 4 big countries.

African Lion, which has been moving since 2004, is nan largest U.S. yearly associated subject workout connected nan continent and usually features high-ranking subject officials from nan U.S. and its apical African allies.

U.S. subject officials person said nan yearly multinational engagement serves arsenic a venue for strengthening location information practice and refining nan readiness of participating forces for world crises.

In 2012, 2 U.S. Marines were killed and 2 others injured during a chopper clang successful Morocco’s confederate metropolis of Agadir while taking portion successful African Lion.

Morocco is simply a awesome state of nan United States successful a troubled region. Since 2020, subject officers disillusioned pinch their governments’ records of stemming unit person overthrown democratically elected governments successful Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and began distancing themselves from Western powers.

Adetayo and Oubachir constitute for nan Associated Press and reported from Lagos, Nigeria, and Casablanca, respectively.