Guwahati: Four of the six bodies recovered on June 10 in Manipur have been identified by the family members. These bodies were of Liangmai Nagas who are believed to have been killed in captivity in Manipur.The bodies are in Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal. A senior police official who does not want to be named said, “DNA testing may be required if visual identification of the remaining bodies is not possible”.A family member said the identification process took several hours and that only four bodies could be identified. “The were found with their hands tied and bodies were mutilated.”Manipur Home Minister K. Govindas said that kidnapping and killing of innocent people was highly condemnable and assured that the perpetrators would be arrested soon. "It is a heinous crime against humanity. Kidnapping innocent people and butchering them is highly condemnable. We have committed that the perpetrators will be arrested very soon," the Home Minister said.Inspector General of Manipur Police Ningshen Worngam said the case has been handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), while the Manipur Police will extend all necessary assistance to facilitate the investigation.Manipur police on June 10 stated in X, “After nearly 24 hours of sustained search operations involving around 450 personnel of the Manipur Police, CRPF, and Assam Rifles, assisted by sniffer dogs and forensic expert teams, the mortal remains of six persons were recovered this afternoon. The deceased are believed to be among those taken hostage from Leilon Vaiphei on 13 May 2026. Necessary legal formalities are being carried out by the police, and the investigation is underway.”The recovery of the bodies of the six Naga civilians came just hours after 14 hostages belonging to the Kuki community were released on Tuesday (June 9) following nearly four weeks in captivity.At least 50 people belonging to the Kuki and Naga communities were allegedly held hostage by different armed groups in Kangpokpi and Senapati districts following the violent incidents of May 13, during which three church leaders were killed, and four others were injured in Kangpokpi district. Around 30 individuals from both communities were released on May 14 and May 15 following sustained efforts by authorities, community leaders, and several civil society organisations.Various organisations representing both the Naga and Kuki communities had since been staging protests and demanding the safe rescue of the abducted persons -- six Nagas and 14 members of the Kuki community.