Ahmadinejad orders search for 'legendary army'

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has tasked Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization (ICHO) to review new findings about an ancient Iranian army which is believed to have been lost in Egypt.

Ahmadinejad's decree came in response to a letter from Hamid Baqayi, the Head of the ICHO, in which he had briefed the President on the latest reports about the issue.

"Over the past days, two Italian archeologists have found some relics, which reportedly belong to the [King] Cambyses' legendary ancient army in Egypt," Fars news agency quoted Baqayi as saying in his letter on Wednesday.

Baqayi had called for contacting Egypt's Interest Section in Tehran to discuss the issue and to form a "panel of experts" to probe the reports.

"All aspects of the recent findings should be reviewed and appropriate information should be provided to the Iranian nation and those people interested in the world," Ahmadinejad said in response to the letter.

"It is expected that the capacities of the national knowledge about the cultural heritage and internationally renowned experts and also the diplomatic capacities would be used," the Iranian President stated.

The 50,000-strong army of the Achaemenian King Cambyses II disappeared in a desert in Egypt in 525 BC. The soldiers are believed to have been buried under a strong sandstorm.

The lack of clues about the lost army had left archeologists confused about the army.