A massive air-and-sea search involving Moroccan and American forces entered its third day Thursday as authorities scramble to find two missing U.S. soldiers who disappeared during joint military exercises off Morocco’s rugged northern coast.
The soldiers, both from the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, were participating in Exercise African Lion 2026 — the largest annual U.S.-led military drills on the African continent — when their rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) capsized in heavy swells late Tuesday night. A third American service member was rescued clinging to debris; he remains hospitalized in stable condition.
Moroccan naval vessels, U.S. Coast Guard cutters, helicopters and drones have scoured more than 1,200 square nautical miles of the Mediterranean and Atlantic approaches to the Strait of Gibraltar. The Pentagon has confirmed the soldiers’ names will not be released until next of kin are notified, but sources say both are experienced operators in their late 20s.
Moroccan Interior Minister Abdelouafi Laftit briefed reporters at a joint command centre in Tangier, describing the operation as “unprecedented in scale and coordination.” More than 600 personnel, including elite Moroccan navy divers and U.S. Navy SEAL support teams, are involved. Strong currents and shifting winds have complicated efforts; search patterns were adjusted overnight after debris believed to belong to the missing boat washed ashore near Asilah.
U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Puneet Talwar expressed “deep gratitude” for Moroccan assistance but acknowledged the window for a live rescue is closing. “Our thoughts are with the families,” he said. “We will not stop until we have answers.”
The incident has cast a shadow over African Lion 2026, which involves more than 8,000 troops from 12 nations and focuses on counter-terrorism, disaster response and maritime security. The exercises were already politically sensitive after local activists protested the U.S. military presence near disputed Western Sahara.
Military sources say the soldiers were conducting a night-time navigation training exercise when an unexpected swell — possibly triggered by a passing ferry wake — overturned the vessel. Night-vision equipment and life vests were recovered, but no distress beacon was activated, suggesting the capsizing happened too quickly for a mayday call.
Families of the missing soldiers have been flown to Morocco and are being supported by U.S. military chaplains and Moroccan authorities. A Pentagon spokesperson said search operations will continue “until all reasonable avenues have been exhausted.”
The disappearance has sparked online speculation and conspiracy theories in both countries, with some Moroccan social media users claiming the soldiers were on a secret mission near the Algerian border. U.S. officials have dismissed such claims as “baseless and unhelpful.
”Morocco and the United States enjoy one of Africa’s strongest military partnerships. The kingdom is a major non-NATO ally, and African Lion has been held annually since 2007. This year’s drills were expanded to include new cyber-defence components amid rising regional threats.
As the search stretches into a fourth night, the human cost is becoming painfully clear. Back in the soldiers’ home state of New York, neighbours have begun tying yellow ribbons to lampposts while local churches hold prayer vigils. In Tangier, Moroccan fishermen have volunteered their boats to expand the search grid.
For now, the vast blue expanse of the Strait of Gibraltar holds its secrets. Two American soldiers remain missing, and two nations continue their desperate hunt.
