Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Two U.S. Soldiers Missing on Morocco Hike; Joint Search Launched

5/3/2026

35 5 Full Breakdown

Center

U.S. Soldiers Missing

U.S. soldiers vanished while on a remote recreational hike near the Cap Draa cliffs in Morocco.
Two U.S. service members went missing near Tan Tan, Morocco, prompting a joint search operation.
AFRICOM says the incident is under investigation and appears to be an accident, not terrorism.
Ground, air and maritime assets from the United States, Morocco and partners support the search.

Right

African Lion Crash

The African Lion 2026 drill, the U.S.’s largest African joint exercise, mobilized over 5,000 troops from 40+ nations.
A helicopter crashed near the Cap Draa Training Area in Agadir, killing two U.S. Marines and wounding two service members.
U.S. Africa Command, Morocco and allies launched a joint search-and-rescue operation.
Officials suspended African Lion drills on Sunday while investigators probe the crash cause.

1 of 2

U.S. Soldiers Missing

U.S. soldiers vanished while on a remote recreational hike near the Cap Draa cliffs in Morocco.
Two U.S. service members went missing near Tan Tan, Morocco, prompting a joint search operation.
AFRICOM says the incident is under investigation and appears to be an accident, not terrorism.
Ground, air and maritime assets from the United States, Morocco and partners support the search.

1 / 2