The explosion damaged a canal feeding Kosovo power plants; PM accuses Serbian of ‘terrorist attack’

(Reuters)- An explosion on Friday night damaged a canal in northern Kosovo that supplies water to two coal-fired power plants that generate almost all of the country’s electricity, with Prime Minister Albin Kurti calling it “neighbor Serbia’s “Terrorist act”.

There were no immediate reports of injuries and the cause of the explosion was unclear, which also affected drinking water supplies. Serbian officials did not respond to requests for comment and Reuters found no immediate evidence of Belgrade’s involvement.

“This is a criminal and terrorist attack aimed at destroying our critical infrastructure,” Kurti declared in a televised speech. He said that if the problem is not resolved by morning, a part of the country may be deprived of electricity.

In a sign of ethnic tensions between the two Balkan countries, Kurti echoed Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in blaming Serbian criminal gangs without providing evidence.

Earlier this Friday, Kosovo police announced increased security measures following two recent attacks, in which grenades were thrown at a police station and a municipal building in northern Kosovo, where ethnic Serbs live. It was unclear whether the incidents were related.

Local media showed images of destroyed sections of the canal and leaking water, as well as a strong police presence at the scene.

Faruk Muzka, director of the Ibar-Lepensi water company, told local news portal Kalaxo that an explosive device was thrown into the canal, damaging a bridge wall.

He said the water supply, which also supplies drinking water to the capital Pristina, had to be interrupted to solve the problem as soon as possible, as it was the main channel supplying the Kosova Energy Corporation (KEK) in Albanian The country’s major energy supplier.

Albanian-majority Kosovo gained independence in 2008 after nearly a decade of guerrilla insurgency against Serbian rule. However, tensions remain, especially in the north, where the Serbian minority refuses to grant statehood to Kosovo and considers Belgrade as its capital.

EU Ambassador to Kosovo Aivo Orav condemned the attack, saying it was already “depriving large parts of Kosovo of water supplies”.