Overview
The US military has confirmed that a soldier participating in the African Lion joint military exercise fell overboard in waters off Morocco. Officials said a second soldier jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue their comrade. A large-scale search and rescue operation is now underway.
Details
African Lion is America’s largest annual military exercise in Africa, held this year across multiple locations in Morocco with participation from several allied nations. According to military officials, the soldier fell overboard while carrying out a training mission. The exact circumstances are still under investigation.
The soldier who jumped in to rescue their teammate displayed remarkable courage, but rough sea conditions and strong currents have made the search operation extremely difficult. The US military has deployed search assets including helicopters and fast boats to conduct a grid search in the area.
Official Response
A Pentagon spokesperson said the missing soldier’s family has been notified and the military will do everything possible to find them. Morocco is also assisting with the search effort. The African Lion exercise aims to strengthen military cooperation and security capacity building between the US and African partner nations, with this year’s drill being the largest in its history.
Source: CBS News