Six bodies, believed those of Japanese World War II soldiers, were discovered in a cave in the Pacific state of Palau, Radio Australia reports.
The discovery was made on the island of Pelileu, where Japanese and American troops clashed in September 1944, by a team from non-governmental organisation Cleared Ground Demining, the report says.
"At that location was an anti-tank gun in a heavily fortified concrete bunker and it took a number of days actually to capture this fortified position," Steve Ballinger of the group was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
"It's my understanding that those were the crew, perhaps the officer and his men that were manning that gun," he said A number of US soldiers also died in the area, Ballinger said. World War II-era hand grenades and ammunition were found along with the soldiers' remains.
ABC reported that the cave was re-opened for the first time in 70 years ahead of a visit to Palau by Japan's emperor and empress scheduled for next week.
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