Aya Gold & Silver Identifies New Mineralized Zone to the North and Reports High-Grade Silver Results at Zgounder

MONTREAL, Sept. 09, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aya Gold & Silver Inc. (TSX: AYA; OTCQX: AYASF) (“Aya” or the “Corporation”) is pleased to announce the discovery of a new mineralized zone located north of the current open-pit and high-grade silver results from its ongoing drill exploration program at the Zgounder Silver Mine, in the Kingdom of Morocco.

Highlights (all intersections are in core lengths)

• Discovery of a new mineralized zone north of the current open-pit; hole ZG-25-156 intercepted 167 grams per tonne (“g/t”) silver (“Ag”) over 2.0 meters (“m”) in a broader interval of 19.0m
• Intersections in the Central Area:
  • Hole DZG-SF-25-641 intercepted 1,164 g/t Ag over 3.0m, including 3,116 g/t Ag over 1.0m
  • Hole DZG-SF-25-648 intercepted 1,080 g/t Ag over 3.0m, including 2,820 g/t Ag over 1.0m
  • Hole T28-25-816 intercepted 1,305 g/t Ag over 6.0m
  • Hole T28-25-739 intercepted 525 g/t Ag over 13.2m, including 1,833 g/t Ag over 2.4m
• Intersections at Depth Near the Granite Contact:
  • Hole ZG-SF-25-319 intercepted 655 g/t Ag over 4.5m, 670 g/t Ag over 3.0m and 442 g/t Ag over 2.5m
• Intersections in the Open-Pit Area:
  
  
  • Hole DZG-SF-25-696 intercepted 1,448 g/t Ag over 2.3m
  • Hole DZG-SF-25-705 intercepted 444 g/t Ag over 3.0m
• 16,685m or 67% of the 2025 exploration program has been drilled year to date.
• Zgounder Far-East exploration drill program has been completed with results pending.

“The discovery of a new mineralized zone, north of the open-pit, is an exciting development that has the potential to grow near-mine resources,” said Benoit La Salle, President & CEO. “We plan to follow up with additional drilling in the coming months. In parallel, high-grade intercepts such as hole ZG-SF-25-319 in the west area near the granite contact further demonstrate the mineralisation at depth, extending beyond the current resource model.”

Included in this release are results from 259 holes, which include 114 underground diamond drill holes (“DDH”), 15 surface DDH, 82 T28 and 41 YAK holes (T28 and YAK: percussion drilling using an air-compressed hammer) and 7 historic resampled DDH. For a full summary of today’s results, refer to Appendix 1.

Table 1 – Significant Intercepts from Drilling at Zgounder (core lengths)

*True widths are undetermined; all values are uncut.

Figure 1: Location of Drill Results at Zgounder

2025 Exploration Results

This year, 16,865m of drilling have been completed at Zgounder. Drilling was conducted mostly underground in the Central, East and Western Zones as well as from surface at some near-mine regional targets and Zgounder Far East.

Hole ZG-25-156 and ZG-25-159 (pending) has identified a new mineralized body north of the open-pit (Figures 2). Hole ZG-25-156 returned 167 g/t Ag over 2.0m included in a much broader altered and silver anomalous interval of 19.0m, while ZG-25-159 also shows a large 20.0m corridor of alteration containing spots of native silver (results pending). There is significant potential for new mineralization north of the current open pit, at depth, near the granite contact. Additional follow-up holes are planned in the area through the remainder of 2025.

The RC drill exploration program at Zgounder Far East, which began on June 22, targeting four strong geochemistry anomalies including Ag – copper and gold, was completed in July, with a total of 2,464m completed, results are still pending.

The Zgounder Far East block comprises Neoproterozoic geology divided into three distinct zones: Southern Zone dominated by volcano-sedimentary rocks and pebbly sandstones alternated with felsic volcanics. Central Zone hosts an ophiolite complex, featuring mafic and ultramafic rocks intercalated with fine-grained sandstone units. Northern Zone is composed of intermediate to mafic volcanic and intrusive rocks, alternating with conglomerates. Grab sample results in the Far East block have identified some high-grade grab Ag-Cu, and Au, along with many precious metal anomalies, indicating a strong mineralization potential within 20km from the Zgounder deposit.

Figure 2: NW-SE Section of Zgounder with Hole ZG-25-156

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.

David Lalonde, B.Sc. P. Geo, Vice-President Exploration, is Aya Gold & Silver’s Qualified Person and has reviewed this press release 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 .

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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 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

Photos accompanying this release are available at: