By Jerald Jimenez
At least two US military personnel were reported missing in southwestern Morocco, according to information from the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM). while participating in the multi-year exercise, African Lion.
The forces of the United States and Morocco, along with other countries participating in the maneuvers, immediately began a coordinated search and rescue operation, ABC Data reported.
“The incident remains under investigation and the search continues,” AFRICOM said in a statement. However, The US military command has not reported the identities of those affected or to which command they belong.
Location and ground conditions
The incident took place on Saturday in the vicinity of Cap Draa, a training sector located near the town of Tan Tan, facing the Atlantic Ocean. The territory has logistical problems for rescue efforts, as it is characterized by being a mountainous area that alternates desert terrain with semi-desert plains.
The “African Lion” maneuvers, the most important for the US Army on that continent, They have been taking place since April and cover territories in four nations: Tunisia, Ghana, Senegal and Morocco. The activities are scheduled to conclude in the coming days, and have the participation of 7,000 personnel from more than 30 countries, said ABC Data.
Who is part of African Lion’s activities?
US personnel involved in these practices include members of the National Guard, Army Reserve, Air Force and Marine Corps. According to military spokespersons, these annual exercises, carried out uninterruptedly since 2004, seek to optimize the response capacity to global crises and improve regional security through collaboration between African allies and Western powers.
Regarding similar precedents in Morocco, in 2012 two US Marines died and two others suffered injuries after a helicopter crash in the city of Agadir, also during the development of the African Lion.
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