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The situation on the frontline remains tense. It is the first time since the signing of the ceasefire that Azerbaijani troops used a tank opening fire at military positions of Defense Army of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic  in the southern direction of the line of contact between the armed forces of Karabakh and Azerbaijan, according to the press service of NKR Defense Army.

On December 8 and the night of December 9 the Azerbaijani side violated the ceasefire about 180 times on the line of contact.

During that period Azerbaijani frontline units fired over 1,500 shots at Armenian positions from small arms of various calibers, 60mm (101 shells), 82mm (193 shells) and 120mm (35 shells) mortars, and RPG-7 (3 shells) and AGS-17 (27 shells) grenade launchers.

Azerbaijan also used a Turkish-made TR-107 rocket launcher (17 shells) and a tank (5 shells).
A contract serviceman of NKR Defense Army, 24-year-old Garik Gurgeni Avanesyan, died from a gunshot wound after a bullet was fired from a large-caliber sniper rifle from the Azerbaijani side. The incident happened around 9:10 pm December 8 in a military unit located in the eastern direction of the line of contact. An investigation is underway. NKR Defense Ministry expressed condolences to the family, friends and fellow soldiers of Garik Avanesyan.

NKR Defense Ministry said that the destabilizing actions of Azerbaijan will not go without a response and the consequences of the situation will be grave and irreversible.