Government accuses Serbia of orchestrating the attacks // Unsubstantiated accusations seek to put pressure on the Serbian community, Belgrade responds
AFP and Europa Press
La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, December 1, 2024, p. 17
Pristina. Several people were arrested yesterday in Kosovo after an explosion that damaged an important canal that supplies water to two thermal power plants in the country, while accusing Serbia of having orchestrated the action.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that the police He carried out searches and arrests and collected testimonies and evidence. Criminals and terrorists will have to face justice and the law.
No injuries were reported from the explosions, according to authorities, and yesterday Kosovo-Albanian police made several arrests in the municipality of Zubin Potok, in the north of the region.
The Kosovo government stated that The Serbian State has the capacity to carry out a criminal and terrorist attack of this typewhile the authorities approved additional measures to strengthen security around essential facilities and services, such as bridges, transformers, antennas, lakes and canalsamong others.
In turn, the Serbian president, Aleksandar Vucic, and the leadership of his government categorically denied any connection with the attack and described the event as an operation of false flag of the Kosovar authorities to redouble your pressure on the Serbian majority population.
Baseless accusations, made hastily and without any evidence, are deeply irresponsible and worrying. Such unsubstantiated claims aim to damage Serbia’s reputation as well as undermine efforts to promote peace and stability in the region.Vucic denounced in a message on his Instagram account.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister of that country, Milos Vucevic, also expressed himself in even more forceful terms to express the fear that Kosovo institutions will take advantage of the events (…) to exert more pressure and attack the Serbian communityafter denouncing raids of the Kosovo police in several Serb-majority towns around Zubin Potok.
In a statement, the peace force of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Kosovo assured that Since the night (Friday to Saturday), the Kosovo Force (KFOR) is protecting the aqueduct and the surrounding area. In addition, KFOR offers to ensure logistical assistance, the disposal of explosive devices and technical support to structures in that country.
The high representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, condemned the attack, which he described as despicable act of sabotage against essential civilian infrastructure in Kosovo.
Meanwhile, the United States, through its embassy in Pristina, also strongly denounced the attack against critical infrastructure; France asked that all possible light is shed about what happened, while Türkiye invited all parties that avoid escalation and offered his help to Kosovo.
Tensions between the two countries have persisted since the war between forces in the late 1990s. Kosovo declared its independence in 2008, but Belgrade does not recognize it and encourages the Serbian community in that country not to submit to Pristina’s authority.
