Two U.S. troops reported missing during major military exercises in Africa

Two U.S. service members were reported missing Sunday in Morocco, during major annual American military exercises in western Africa, Pentagon officials said.

The two troops were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area, which is near the city of Tan Tan in Morocco, according to U.S. Africa Command. The troops were part of the “African Lion” annual joint exercise, which includes drills in Morocco, Ghana, Senegal and elsewhere on the continent.

U.S. officials said a search-and-rescue operation is underway and the specific circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.

“U.S., Moroccan and other assets from African Lion immediately initiated coordinated search and rescue operations, including ground, air, and maritime assets,” AFRICOM said in a brief statement Sunday morning.

The U.S. has about 6,500 troops in Africa, according to late 2025 data from AFRICOM. They are spread across the continent, with the majority — about 3,500 — based at Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. AFRICOM officials would not disclose the location of the rest of the troops due to security concerns.

Parts of Africa, particularly the Sahel region and Somalia along the eastern coast, are widely considered global epicenters for Islamic extremism. The U.S. strategy to contain the spread of terrorist groups across the continent hinges on partnerships with other African militaries.

The African Lion exercise is an example of how the U.S. seeks to deepen those partnerships and help train military forces on the continent to fight back against increasingly powerful extremist groups.

On Christmas Day last year, U.S. forces struck numerous Islamic State targets in northwest Nigeria in what President Trump said was retaliation for the terror group’s years of attacks on Christian civilians in the African nation.

The U.S. also conducted more than 100 strikes against terrorist targets in Somalia last year.