Aya Gold & Silver Reports High-Grade Silver Results at Zgounder

MONTREAL, Dec. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (TSX: AYA; OTCQX: AYASF) (“Aya” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce additional high-grade silver drill results from its at-depth drill exploration program at the Zgounder Silver Mine in the Kingdom of Morocco.

Highlights

(all intersections are in core lengths)

• Intersections in the open-pit area:
  • Hole ZG-RC-25-478 intercepted 677 grams per tonne (“g/t”) silver (“Ag”) over 15.0 metres (“m”), including 2,138 g/t Ag over 3.0m
  • Hole DZG-SF-25-715 intercepted 1,972 g/t Ag over 3.2m
  • Hole ZG-RC-25-462 intercepted 502 g/t Ag over 11.0m
• Intersections at Depth Near the Western Fault contact:
  • Hole ZG-SF-25-336 intercepted 2,718 g/t Ag over 1.3m
• Intersections in the Central Area:
  • Hole T28-25-904 intercepted 1,631 g/t Ag over 7.2m, including 3,100 g/t Ag over 3.6m
  • Hole T28-25-942 intercepted 1,947 g/t Ag over 6.0m, including 2,359 g/t Ag over 4.8m
  • Hole T28-25-894 intercepted 1,339 g/t Ag over 6.0m
• Exploration Update:
  • 21,314m or 85% of the 2025 exploration program has been drilled year to date.

“Today’s high-grade results once again confirm the strong continuity of silver mineralization both at depth and around the open-pit area,” said Benoit La Salle, President & CEO. “Moreover, the new intersection at depth near the Western Fault contact in hole ZG-SF-25-336 extends mineralization further west, continuing to push the limits of our current resource model.”

This release contains results from 169 holes, which include 54 underground diamond drill holes (“DDH”), five surface DDH, 48 reverse circulation drill hole (“RC”), 40 T28 and 22 YAK holes (T28 and YAK: percussion drilling using an air-compressed hammer). For a full summary of today’s results, refer to Appendix 1.

Table 1 – Significant Intercepts from Drilling at Zgounder (Core Lengths)

* True width remains undetermined at this stage; all values are uncut.

Figure 1: Location of Drill Results at Zgounder

Quality Assurance

For core drilling, all individual samples represent approximately one meter in length of core, which is halved. Half of the core is kept on site for reference, and its counterpart is sent for preparation and assaying to African Laboratory for Mining and Environment (“Afrilab”) in Marrakech, Morocco or to ALS Laboratory at the Zgounder Mine site. All samples are analyzed for silver, copper, iron, lead, and zinc using Aqua regia and finished by atomic absorption spectroscopy (“AAS”). Samples grading above 200 g/t Ag are reanalyzed by fire assay.

For definition drilling using RC, all individual samples represent 1.0m in length and for T28 drilling equipment, all individual samples represent 1.2m in length. Samples are assayed at either the ALS Mine laboratory or at Afrilab. All samples are analyzed for silver, copper, iron, lead, and zinc using Aqua regia and finished by AAS. Samples grading above 200 g/t Ag are reanalyzed by fire assay. Rigorous quality controls (QaQc) are applied at both locations.

Qualified Person

The scientific and technical information contained in this press release have been reviewed by David Lalonde, B. Sc, P. Geo, Vice-President Exploration, Qualified Person, for accuracy and compliance with National Instrument 43-101.

About Aya Gold & Silver Inc.

Aya Gold & Silver Inc. is a rapidly growing, Canada-based silver producer with operations in the Kingdom of Morocco.

The only TSX-listed pure silver mining company, Aya operates the high-grade Zgounder Silver Mine and is exploring its properties along the prospective Anti-Atlas Fault, several of which have hosted past-producing mines and historical resources.

Aya’s management team has been focused on maximizing shareholder value by anchoring sustainability at the heart of its operations, governance, and financial growth plans.

For additional information, please visit Aya’s website at www.ayagoldsilver.com.

Or contact

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (“forward-looking statements”), which reflects management’s expectations regarding Aya’s future growth and business prospects (including the timing and development of new deposits and the success of exploration activities) and other opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as “potential”, “plan”, “additional”, “grow”, “significant”, and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might”, “will”, or are “likely” to be taken, occur or be achieved, have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Specific forward-looking statements in this press release include, but are not limited to, statements and information with respect to the continuity of the mineralization and its grade, the potential to meaningfully grow near-mine resources, to follow up aggressively with additional drilling , to execute on planned drilling in the area through the remainder of 2025, the potential to significantly increase high-grade ounces within and near the open pit area, expanding open-pit operations in the near term, enhancing the resource and better understanding the deposit as well as exploration results in the open-pit and underground areas. Although the forward-looking information contained in this press release reflect management’s current beliefs based upon information currently available to management and based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, Aya cannot be certain that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions, opinions and analysis made by management in light of its experience, current conditions, and its expectations of future developments that management believe to be reasonable and relevant but that may prove to be incorrect. These assumptions include, among other things, the ability to obtain any requisite governmental approvals, obtaining regulatory permits for on-site work, importing goods and machinery and employment permits, the accuracy of Mineral Reserve and Mineral Resource Estimates (including, but not limited to, ore tonnage and ore grade estimates), the price of silver, the price of gold, exchange rates, fuel and energy costs, future economic conditions, anticipated future estimates of free cash flow, and courses of action. Aya cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements.

The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including government approvals and permitting, changes in economic conditions, changes in the worldwide price of silver gold and other key inputs, changes in mine plans (including, but not limited to, throughput and recoveries being affected by metallurgical characteristics) and other factors, such as project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of Aya, as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in Aya’s 2024 Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2025, and in other filings of Aya with securities and regulatory authorities which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Aya does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs, and opinions change. Nothing in this document should be construed as either an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or sell Aya securities. All references to Aya include its subsidiaries unless the context requires otherwise.

Appendix 1 - Mineral Intercepts from Drilling at Zgounder (core lengths)

* True widths are undetermined; all values are uncut.

Appendix 2 – Drillhole Coordinates of Zgounder Drill Hole with Significant Results