Kosovo blames Serbia for blast at key water canal as tensions escalate

Kosovo on Saturday worked to restore water and power supplies following an explosion at a canal critical to its energy infrastructure, which Pristina denounced as a "terrorist act" by Serbia. While Belgrade denied involvement and pointed fingers at Kosovo’s leadership, the blast escalated already fraught relations between the two Balkan neighbours.

Kosovo worked to shore up water and power supplies on Saturday and stepped up security at strategic sites after an explosion hit a canal that sends water to its two main power plants, an incident Pristina labelled a "terrorist act" by neighbouring Serbia.

Serbia's foreign minister Marko Djuric denied what he said were "baseless allegations" about Belgrade's involvement in an X post on Saturday, and suggested that Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government was involved, without providing evidence.

Kurti said later Saturday that police have made arrests following the attack, adding that water flow had been partially restored.

Law enforcement have also "carried out searches" and "collected testimony and evidence, and the criminals and terrorists will have to face justice and the law", the prime minister told journalists while visiting the site of the explosion.

The explosion has increased tensions between the two Balkan countries. Ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 almost a decade after a guerrilla uprising against its rule, but Serbia has not recognised Kosovo as an independent state.

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