Search for missing US soldiers off Morocco coast persists with 600 people involved

CASABLANCA, Morocco — A massive search operation is underway ‌involving over 600‌ military personnel from ‍various countries, who⁤ are tirelessly looking for two U.S. soldiers who disappeared ‌in Morocco during the U.S.-African military exercises. The search teams‌ are⁣ exploring underwater ​caves and the Atlantic coast, as⁣ per the information released by the‌ authorities on Wednesday.

The search operation is now in its fifth day, coinciding with the ⁢conclusion ​of the African Lion military drills.

The missing U.S. Army members were last‌ seen near the Cap Draa training ⁢area outside Tan-Tan, a coastal city in southwestern⁢ Morocco, according to the Moroccan military. It⁢ is suspected that they were on a leisure hike and might have fallen ⁤into the ocean.

The search team, comprising more than 600‍ personnel from the U.S., Morocco, and other African Lion participants,⁢ has covered ‍over 45 square kilometers of coastal and open ocean area,⁣ a U.S. defense official ‌informed The Associated Press. The official chose to‍ remain anonymous as they were not authorized to‌ speak publicly on ‌the matter.

“Our two soldiers ​and their ‌families remain our ⁢absolute priority,” the‌ official emphasized.

The ⁣missing soldiers ⁣were participants in ⁢African Lion 26, a U.S.-led ⁤exercise initiated in April across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. The exercise involved more than 7,000 personnel from over 30⁢ nations and is scheduled ‍to ⁣end on Friday. Since its inception in 2004, it has been⁤ the largest U.S. joint military ‍exercise in Africa.

The⁣ Moroccan Navy shared ⁣a video on Wednesday‍ that‌ showed military divers exploring ‌caves, aircraft scanning the ocean surface, and teams of⁣ uniformed personnel along with canine crews ⁢searching the rocky shoreline. Several Moroccan military units are actively participating in the search.

Two vessels from the maritime training component of the ⁣drills, a Moroccan-European‌ multi-mission frigate and a‌ French multipurpose supply vessel, have been reassigned to aid the search. A U.S. logistics⁢ vessel continues to support the exercise while assisting​ in the search effort, the official added.

The aviation equipment involved in ⁢the search includes‍ a U.S. UC-35 Citation jet, a U.S. Army ⁣C-12 Huron aircraft, and Moroccan Puma ⁣and Super Puma helicopters.

Several‍ technology vendors involved in the exercise have ⁤deployed unmanned aerial ‍systems to‌ help monitor the search area, the official further added.