Two US service members are missing in southwestern Morocco after taking part in annual multinational military exercises in the North African country, the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) said on Sunday.

The service members are US Army soldiers who went missing while on a hike, a US defence official told Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to speak publicly about the issue.

“They were not actively taking part in any training. The day’s exercises had concluded and, from our understanding, they were out on a recreational hike,” the official said.

AFRICOM said the US, Morocco and other countries involved in the African Lion exercise have launched a search and rescue operation.

“The incident remains under investigation and the search is ongoing,” it said in a statement.

The incident happened on Saturday at around 9pm, the Moroccan military said, near the Cap Draa Training Area near Tan Tan, close to the Atlantic Ocean. The terrain is mountainous, a mix of desert and semi-desert plains.

The search team includes helicopters, ships, mountain rescue units and divers, the defence official said.