The U.S. Army is searching for two service members who went missing while taking part in a joint military exercise in Morocco, according to a statement released by the U.S. Africa Command on Sunday.

The service members were reported missing on Saturday near Cap Draa Training Area, in southwestern Morocco, along the Atlantic Ocean. They had been participating in African Lion 2026, a large joint military exercise held annually by U.S. forces, NATO countries and African nations.

A U.S. military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters, said the two Army soldiers were out on an early evening hike at a training range and at least one of the soldiers was believed to have fallen off a cliff into the sea.

Other military personnel hiking nearby rushed to create a human chain down the cliff to attempt a rescue, but a large wave swept one or two of them into the ocean, a second U.S. military official said. Initial reports indicated that the first individual who fell was eventually rescued but two others were still missing, the official said.

A major multinational search effort — including ships, ground teams and reconnaissance drones — has ensued, the first military official said.

The search includes Moroccan SA-330 Puma and AS332 Super Puma helicopters; a U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopter; Moroccan and American surveillance drones; French and Moroccan navy frigates; and Moroccan mountaineers and divers, the official said.

The statement from U.S. Africa Command did not identify the missing soldiers. “The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing,” it said. The command did not immediately respond to a request for further information on Sunday.

About 5,000 personnel from over 40 countries were scheduled to participate in this year’s African Lion exercises in Morocco from April 27 to May 8.