WASHINGTON — Six Army soldiers who deserted their military intelligence post in West Germany and were arrested in Florida told other soldiers they were leaving to find and destroy the "anti-Christ," it was reported today.

The European edition of the military newspaper Stars and Stripes, citing Army sources, said the six soldiers destroyed or gave away all of their personal belongings before leaving their 701st Military Intelligence Brigade in Augsburg, West Germany, earlier this month.

The deserters, who were arrested last Friday and Saturday in the Pensacola area and are now being held at Ft. Benning, Ga., told fellow soldiers before they left that they were going to find and "destroy the anti-Christ" who was believed to be in the Pensacola area, the Stars and Stripes said.

The six soldiers were trained as cryptographers. The Army is trying to determine if the six were involved in espionage.