Blast at Kosovo canal a ‘terrorist assault’ – PM
An explosion broken a canal supplying water to Kosovo’s two primary coal-fired energy vegetation, Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated, blaming a “terrorist assault” by neighbouring Serbia.
“This can be a prison and terrorist assault geared toward damaging our vital infrastructure”, Mr Kurti advised a press convention late final night time.
“The assault was carried out by professionals. We imagine it comes from gangs directed by Serbia,” he added with out offering any proof.
The blast occurred close to the city of Zubin Potok within the nation’s troubled north, damaging a canal supplying water to cooling programs at two energy vegetation that generate most of Kosovo’s electrical energy.
Mr Kurti gave no particulars in regards to the extent of the harm, however stated if it was not repaired a part of Kosovo could possibly be with out electrical energy as quickly as Saturday morning.
Footage from the scene printed by native media confirmed water leaking closely from one aspect of the strengthened canal, which runs from the Serb-majority north of Kosovo to the capital Pristina and provides ingesting water.
‘Felony assault’
The USA strongly condemned the “assault on vital infrastructure in Kosovo”, the US embassy in Pristina stated in a press release on Fb.
“We’re monitoring the scenario intently… and have provided our full help to the federal government of Kosovo to make sure that these accountable for this prison assault are recognized and held accountable.”
Animosity between ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo and Serbia has endured for the reason that finish of the struggle between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian insurgents within the late Nineteen Nineties.
Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a transfer that Serbia has refused to acknowledge.
Mr Kurti’s authorities has for months sought to dismantle a parallel system of social providers and political places of work backed by Belgrade to serve Kosovo’s Serbs.
The assault got here after a sequence of violent incidents in northern Kosovo, together with the hurling of hand grenades at a municipal constructing and a police station earlier this week.
AFP has contacted the Serbian authorities for remark.
