An essential canal for two thermal power plants in Kosovo was damaged on Friday, November 29, by an explosion that threatened the country’s energy supply, an act attributed by the head of the Kosovo Government to neighboring Serbia.
“This is a criminal and terrorist attack aimed at destroying our critical infrastructure”declared Albin Kurti during a press conference called late in the afternoon. “The attack was carried out by professionals. “We believe it comes from Serbian-led gangs.”he added.
The explosion of the canal, which supplies water to two coal-fired power plants for their cooling systems, which represent Kosovo’s main source of electricity, occurred near the town of Zubin Potok, in the north of the country. If the damage is not repaired, a part of Kosovo risks being left without electricity from Saturday morning, the Prime Minister explained.
The latter did not give details on the extent of the damage suffered by the canal, which connects the Serbian-majority north of Kosovo with the capital Pristina, also partially supplied with drinking water by this canal. Images published by local media show a gap in one side of the canal through which water is flowing strongly.
Rekindled tensions
The United States, through its embassy in Pristina, strongly condemned “Attack on critical infrastructure in Kosovo”. “We are closely monitoring the situation (…) and have offered our full support to the Kosovo government to ensure that those responsible for this criminal attack are identified and held accountable.”continues the embassy on Facebook.
Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have persisted since the war between Serbian forces and Kosovars in the late 1990s declared independence in 2008, a decision Serbia refuses to recognize, encouraging Serbs to reject their allegiance to Pristina. .
Serbia has maintained so-called public institutions in Serbian areas of Kosovo. “parallels”schools or hospitals. But the recent dismantling of these institutions by the Albin Kurti government has shaken this system and reignited tensions.
Friday’s attack follows a series of violent incidents in northern Kosovo, where Serbs are in the majority, including grenades thrown at a municipal building and a police station earlier this week.
