The apparent remains of Japanese people believed to have died in World War Two have been newly found in a mass burial site on Palau's Peleliu Island in the Pacific.



A bloody battle took place on the island in 1944 between Japan's now-defunct Imperial military and US forces. The incident left more than 10,000 Japanese dead. About 2,400 of the bodies have yet to be found.



Officials from the Japan Association for Recovery and Repatriation of War Casualties and others made the discovery on Friday at a mass grave believed to contain the remains of 1,086 Japanese soldiers. It appears that several of them were found simply piled up in the grave.



The association, which was commissioned by the Japanese government, will collect specimens from the newly-discovered remains, and bring them back to Japan for DNA testing. If the specimens indicate they are of Japanese origin, the remains will be returned home.



Kido Toshiko says his father died on the island and that his remains are yet to be discovered. Kido said, "I was horrified to see the bodies just buried in piles. I wanted to tell my father that we will return home together."



The head of the association's delegation, Takada Akihito, said, "I feel sorry for the deceased because it took 80 years to find them after the war. I feel like telling them we have finally come to bring them back. I want to recover the remains of as many people as possible."



The association plans to continue its work on the island until May 24.