MIA

Massive Search Effort to Find Missing U.S. Soldiers Revealed

The two American soldiers have been missing for five days.

Over 600 military personnel from multiple countries are searching for two U.S. soldiers who went missing in Morocco five days ago, during joint military exercises. It is believed they may have fallen into the ocean during a recreational hike near the Cap Draa training area outside Tan-Tan, a coastal city in southwestern Morocco. The search for the officers includes helicopters, naval vessels, divers, aircraft and unmanned aerial systems. Military members from the U.S., Morocco and other African Lion participants are involved in the search, which has covered more than 45 square kilometers of coastal and open ocean area, a U.S. defense official told The Associated Press. The official, who remained anonymous as they were not permitted to speak publicly on the matter, stated, “Our two soldiers and their families remain our absolute priority.” Video released by the Moroccan Navy on Wednesday showed military divers searching in caves and even canine crews coming the rocky shoreline for the missing soldiers, according to the Associated Press. It comes as the U.S-led African Lion 26 U.S. military exercise neared its conclusion. The exercise launched in April and spread across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana and Senegal. Comprised of over 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations, it is due to end on Friday.