Kosovo PM blames Serbia for explosion at canal supplying power plants

Blast cuts off crucial water supplies to two plants, with fears much of the country could be left without power.

A canal in Kosovo feeding two power plants that generate most of the nation’s electricity has been damaged in an explosion, with the prime minister calling it a “terrorist attack” by neighbouring Serbia.

The incident occurred on Friday near the town of Zubin Potok in the troubled north of the country, about 16km (10 miles) from the border with Serbia, cutting the flow of water needed for the plants’ cooling systems and prompting fears that much of the country could be left without electricity by the weekend.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti immediately blamed Serbia, describing the alleged assault as “a terrorist act” carried out by “professionals” working in “gangs” directed by its northern neighbour who were targeting “critical infrastructure”.

Pictures from the scene published by local media showed water leaking heavily from one side of the reinforced canal, which runs from the Serb-majority north of Kosovo to the capital, Pristina, and also supplies drinking water.

Faruk Mujka, the head of water company Iber Lepenci, told local news portal Kallxo that an explosive device was thrown into the canal and damaged the wall of a bridge. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

He said the water supply must be halted to fix the problem as soon as possible, given the disruption in supplies to the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK), the country’s main power provider.

‘Criminal attack’

Earlier on Friday, Kosovo police had increased security measures after two recent attacks in which hand grenades were hurled at a police station and municipality building in northern Kosovo where ethnic Serbs live. It was not clear if the incidents were linked.

The United States embassy in Pristina condemned the “criminal attack”.

“We are monitoring the situation closely … and have offered our full support to the government of Kosovo to ensure that those responsible … are identified and held accountable,” it said in a statement on Facebook.

Aivo Orav, the European Union’s ambassador to Kosovo, said the alleged attack was already “depriving considerable parts of Kosovo from water supply”.

Independence for ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo came in 2008, almost a decade after a rebel uprising against Serbian rule.

But troubles persist, mainly in the north where the Serb minority refuses to recognise Kosovo’s statehood and still sees Belgrade as their capital.

Tensions have spiked in recent months, with Kurti’s government seeking to dismantle a parallel system of social services and political offices backed by Belgrade to serve Kosovo’s Serbs.