The Security Council takes emergency measures after the explosion in Ibër-Lepenc

2024-11-30 10:07:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Security Council takes emergency measures after the explosion in

The Security Council of Kosovo has undertaken emergency measures to mitigate the consequences and to maintain the security of the country's critical infrastructure, after an attack that caused damage to the Ibër-Lepenci water channel in the north of the country, the Government said in a statement.

The council held an extraordinary meeting, attended by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, a few hours after an explosion on Friday evening caused significant damage to the Ibër-Lepenci water channel in the village of Varragë in the municipality of Zubin Potok, endangering the water supply and current in place.

The Kosovo police are raiding some houses in the north of the country, the deputy police director for the north, Veton Elshani, told Radio Free Europe, without wanting to give more details.

The government said that concrete steps have been taken to return the situation to normal, assuring the citizens that the supply of water and electricity will be fixed as soon as possible.

"The Security Council has approved additional measures to strengthen security around critical facilities and services such as bridges, substations, antennas, lakes, canals, etc.," the announcement states.

From this canal, several cities in the country are supplied with water through Lake Ujman, as well as the Energy Corporation of Kosovo for the cooling of its thermal power plants.

The damage was only partially repaired overnight, as water can still be seen flowing from the canal, but to a lesser extent. The presence of KFOR in the vicinity of the damaged channel, together with a EULEX car, is noticeable, while the presence of the Kosovo Police has also increased in other parts of the municipality of Zubin Potok.

The Minister of Economy of Kosovo, Artane Rizvanolli, said earlier that after this meeting, a regular supply of electricity for the country and central heating for the citizens of the capital, Pristina, has been ensured.

The Kosovar authorities have accused the neighboring country, Serbia, of being behind this attack.

"The first indications suggest that this next attack was orchestrated by the Serbian state, which has the capacity for such a criminal and terrorist attack. "Elements of the terrorist organizations "Civil Defense" and "Northern Brigade" and the main criminal Millan Radoicic, under the leadership of the president and the Government of Serbia, plan and practice in Serbia for such professional attacks," the announcement continues.

The "Civil Defense" and the "Northern Brigade", referred to by the Council, were declared terrorist organizations by the Government of Kosovo in June of last year, while Radoicic, a politician and businessman from the north of Kosovo, claimed responsibility for last year's attack. against the Kosovo Police in Banjska of Zveçan.

The authorities in Kosovo have indicted him and 44 other people for that attack, where a police sergeant and three attackers were killed.

In the communique, the Government linked the attack on the Iber-Lepenci canal with the attacks that the Russian army is continuously carrying out on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine.

"It was also highlighted the probable connection with the attacks of aggressive Russia in Ukraine on energy capacities during this week, leaving over a million Ukrainian households without electricity right on the eve of winter," she said.

The Kosovo Police and the Kosovo Security Force will be activated on the ground for this purpose, according to the Government.

The attack on Ibër-Lepenc was the third within the last 72 hours in the north of the country, inhabited by a majority of Serbs, after the explosions that occurred in a police station and in the Municipality building in Zveçan.

The government said it has increased inter-institutional and international cooperation to prevent similar attacks in the future.

During the meeting, Kurti said that Kosovo "is determined and prepared to protect its citizens and critical infrastructure".

The explosion in Ibër-Lepenc did not cause any casualties, according to Kosovo authorities.

The attack was also condemned by international representatives in Kosovo./REL