2 US troops missing after ‘Africa Lion’ training exercises in Morocco

LAGOS, Nigeria — Two US service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after taking part in annual multinational military exercises in the North African country, the United States African Command (AFRICOM) said Sunday.

The US, Morocco and other countries participating in the African Lion exercise has a search and rescue operation, AFRICOM said.

“The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing,” it said in a statement.

The incident happened on May 2 near the Cap Draa Training Area near Tan Tan, close to the Atlantic Ocean. The exercise started in April and is billed to end early May.

African Lion, a war games exercise, is the US largest annual joint military exercise on the continent and usually features high-ranking military officials from the US and its top African allies.

US military officials have said the annual multinational engagement serves as a venue for strengthening regional security cooperation and refining the readiness of participating forces for global crises.