The Moroccan military has recovered the body of one of two U.S. soldiers who went missing on May 2, the U.S. Army confirmed, according to a report by CBS News. The discovery brings a somber but partial closure to a weeks-long search operation that had gripped military observers on both sides of the Atlantic.
The soldier, identified as Lamont Key, was one of two American service members who disappeared during the African Lion military exercises - a large-scale, multinational training operation that the United States conducts annually with partner nations across Africa. The exercises, which typically involve thousands of troops from multiple countries, are designed to strengthen military partnerships and test joint operational capabilities.
What we know so far
According to CBS News, the U.S. Army confirmed that Moroccan forces located and recovered Key's body, though officials have not yet publicly disclosed the exact circumstances surrounding the soldiers' disappearance or the specific conditions in which the body was found. The Army has not released details about the cause of death pending notification of next of kin and a formal investigation.
The second missing soldier has not yet been located, and search efforts are reportedly ongoing. The identities and unit assignments of both soldiers have not been fully disclosed by the Army at the time of reporting.
African Lion - what is it?
For those unfamiliar, African Lion is the U.S. military's largest annual exercise on the African continent. It brings together forces from dozens of nations and typically spans multiple countries, testing everything from logistics to combat readiness. Morocco is a longtime partner in these exercises, and the operation routinely involves challenging terrain conditions across the region - factors that likely complicated search and recovery efforts from the outset.
A search operation across difficult terrain
The fact that it took weeks to locate one soldier - and that the second remains missing - speaks to the rugged and demanding nature of the environment where the exercises took place. Morocco's geography ranges from coastal flatlands to the Atlas Mountains and the fringes of the Sahara Desert, none of which makes a search operation particularly easy or quick.
The U.S. Army has not yet issued a formal statement on the broader investigation, and it remains unclear whether foul play, an accident, or environmental factors contributed to the soldiers' disappearance. CBS News, which broke the story, has not reported any claims of hostile involvement at this stage.
The search for the second soldier continues, and further updates are expected as the investigation progresses.
