Myanmar's ruling military will likely hold a huge parade in the capital, Naypyidaw, on Monday to mark Armed Forces Day.

The military holds a massive parade every year on the day when the fight for independence started in 1945 during the Pacific War against the now-defunct Imperial Japanese military.

The military is expected to show off its power in the parade involving a large number of soldiers, as well as fighter jets flying in formation. The country's top general, Min Aung Hlaing, will apparently be among the attendees.

Meanwhile, the military is stepping up its offensive against armed pro-democracy forces and ethnic minority groups in the Sagaing region in northwestern Myanmar and in Kayah state in the country's east.

A local human rights group says 3,160 people have been killed in the fighting since the 2021 military coup.

The United States, Britain, and some other countries have imposed sanctions on individuals and organizations connected to Myanmar's military rulers, calling for an immediate end to the violence.

But with no end in sight to the fighting, the number of victims continues to rise.