US Army says body of second missing soldier recovered in Morocco after massive search

Rabat, Morocco - The body of the second of two US soldiers reported missing during an international training exercise in Morocco has been recovered, the US Army said Wednesday.

The US Army says the body of Spc. Mariyah Collington has been recovered in Morocco.   © Screenshot/X/@USAfricaCommand

The pair disappeared near a cliff on the Atlantic coast while taking part in the African Lion 2026 military exercises.

The remains of the two military members – including 19-year-old specialist Mariyah Collington, whose body was found in a coastal cave on Tuesday – were transferred to a Moroccan military hospital and then loaded onto a US Air Force C-130 plane for repatriation.

The two bodies "are en route to the United States," the US Army said in a statement.

JD Vance meets with Ecuador's right-wing President Daniel Noboa in Washington
JD Vance JD Vance meets with Ecuador's right-wing President Daniel Noboa in Washington

A massive week-long land, air, and sea search was launched by the US military, Moroccan and allied forces in the Cap Draa Training Area after the service members went missing last Saturday.

"Search and rescue operations have concluded. With both Soldiers accounted for, the focus shifts to recovery and repatriation," the US Army said. "The incident remains under investigation."

More than 1,000 US and Moroccan military and civil personnel took part in the search, covering 8,200 square miles, it added.

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Last week a US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the two soldiers may have fallen into the sea, pointing to the likelihood of an accident and ruling out terrorism.