The remains of one of the two American soldiers who went missing during the African Lion 2026 military exercise have been recovered in southern Morocco, according to a statement released by the Moroccan Royal Armed Forces (FAR).
The soldiers had been missing since May 2, 2026, after an incident at a cliff in Cap Draa, north of Tan-Tan province.
Moroccan and American forces conducted intensive joint search operations involving land, sea and air teams before locating the body on May 9 at about 8:55 a.m. Authorities identified the deceased as Lieutenant Kendrick Lamont Key Jr..
According to the FAR General Staff, the body was recovered by members of the Royal Armed Forces and Civil Protection before being transported by helicopter to the Moulay El Hassan Military Hospital in Guelmim pending repatriation. Search operations are still ongoing for the second missing soldier.
The African Lion 2026 exercise, jointly organized by the Royal Armed Forces and the United States Armed Forces, officially began on April 27 and was held across several Moroccan regions including Agadir, Dakhla, Benguérir, Taroudant, Tifnit and Cap Draa.
More than 5,000 military personnel from around 40 countries participated in the multinational exercise, alongside military observers from 17 countries.
