On the evening of November 29, an explosion occurred in the village of Varagë, near Zubin-Potok, in northern Kosovo, damaging the Ibër-Lepenc water canal. The attack, which did not result in casualties, caused a disruption in the water supply to parts of Mitrovica for almost 24 hours.
The Ibër-Lepenc canal, which supplies water from Ujman Lake to several cities in Kosovo and to the Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK) for cooling its power plants, was severely affected. Following temporary repairs, water supply to the region was restored.
The Kosovo Police Director, Gazmend Hoxha, confirmed that around 20 kilograms of explosives were used in the attack, placed in a black bag and activated with a mechanical detonator, triggered by a slow-burning fuse.
The Kosovo authorities have accused Serbia of orchestrating the attack, calling it a terrorist act. They described it as the most serious assault on critical infrastructure since the end of the war in Kosovo. In response, Serbia denied any involvement, with President Aleksandar Vučić claiming that Serbian authorities were investigating the explosion and called for an international investigation into the sabotage.
Following extensive operations in the north of Kosovo, Kosovo authorities arrested eight suspects and seized significant amounts of weaponry, including explosives. The suspects are believed to be members of the “Civil Protection”, an illegal group operating in northern Kosovo since 2011, which was declared a terrorist organization by the Kosovo government in 2023.
During the police operation, more than 200 military uniforms, six hand grenades, three AK47 rifles, explosives, fuses for detonation, and military helmets were seized. A separate raid in Zvečan led to the discovery of additional weaponry, including AK47 rifles, handguns, and ammunition. Kosovo’s Minister of Internal Affairs, Xhelal Sveçla, revealed that most of the seized equipment was Serbian-made and classified as military-grade that cannot be easily found on the black market.
The use of explosives in this attack has raised concerns, with officials suggesting that such a large quantity of explosives could only have come from military depots, further implicating external support for the perpetrators.
The attack occurred just hours after the Kosovo Police announced increased security measures across the country, including in northern Kosovo, where tensions have been rising due to recent incidents involving explosive devices.