The body of one of the two American soldiers who went missing during an international training exercise in southern Morocco has been found, the Moroccan army announced Sunday.
A large-scale land, air and sea search operation has been launched by the US military, Moroccan forces and allied forces in the Cap Draa training area after the disappearance of the soldiers last Saturday.
In a statement, the Moroccan army indicated that a body had been recovered from the sea on Saturday.
The two soldiers disappeared near a cliff on the Atlantic coast while participating in the "African Lion 2026" military exercises.
A US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP on Sunday evening that they may have fallen into the sea, suggesting the likelihood of an accident and ruling out terrorism.
The body of the American soldier was transferred to a military hospital, pending repatriation, the Moroccan army said. Search operations continued for his colleague.
The United States Africa Command indicated that the search covered more than 8,000 square kilometers of sea and coastline, and involved more than 10 aircraft, Moroccan cave divers and an unmanned underwater vehicle.
The African Lion 2026 exercise mobilized nearly 5,000 soldiers from more than 40 countries, as well as experts specializing in security and defense.
