Kosovo PM accuses Serbia of ‘terrorist attack’ on vital water canal
A view of the damaged canal in northern Kosovo supplying water to two coal-fired power plants that generate nearly all of the country's electricity, in Varage, Kosovo on November 30, 2024 (Courtesy of Le Monde)
An explosion on Friday damaged a canal supplying water to Kosovo‘s two main coal-fired power plants, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said, blaming a “terrorist attack” by neighboring Serbia.
“This is a criminal and terrorist attack aimed at damaging our critical infrastructure”, Kurti told a press conference late Friday.
“The attack was carried out by professionals. We believe it comes from gangs directed by Serbia,” he added.
The blast, which hit a canal supplying water to cooling systems at two power plants that supply most of Kosovo’s electricity, occurred near the town of Zubin Potok in the country’s troubled north.
The prime minister said that if the damage is not repaired, part of Kosovo could be without electricity as early as Saturday morning.
He gave no details about the extent of the damage to the canal, which runs from the Serb-majority north of Kosovo to the capital Pristina and also supplies drinking water.
Serbia condemns the canal blast
Serbia on Saturday strongly condemned a blast at a canal feeding two key power plants in neighboring Kosovo and rejected Pristina’s claim that it was behind the “terrorist attack”.
Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said “Such destructive actions are unacceptable and threaten the fragile stability we are striving to maintain,” calling Pristina’s allegation of Serbian involvement “baseless” and a “deliberate diversion”.
