Kosovo’s President, Vjosa Osmani, has had a conversation with U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, James O’Brien, regarding the November 29 attack on the Ibër-Lepenc water channel in Zubin Potok.
Osmani’s political advisor, Bekim Kupina, informed Radio Free Europe that in addition to O’Brien, President Osmani also engaged in discussions with other international leaders, including British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
“She [Osmani] thanked them for their reaction and condemnation of the attack on vital infrastructure in Ibër-Lepenc. The discussions focused on the recent terrorist attack on Kosovo’s critical infrastructure and its implications for the stability of Kosovo and the broader region,” said Kupina.
Osmani, along with other Kosovo leaders, has called the explosion in Varragë, Zubin Potok, a terrorist attack on the country’s critical infrastructure.
Kosovo has blamed Serbia for the attack, although Belgrade has denied involvement, stating that it is ready to cooperate in the investigation.
Earlier on December 3, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić also spoke with O’Brien regarding the situation in northern Kosovo.
The United States strongly condemned the attack in Zubin Potok, with U.S. Ambassador to Kosovo, Jeffrey Hovenier, stating that although it is too early to identify the perpetrator, “no group or state can be ruled out” at this stage.
“Currently, the U.S. cannot say who is behind the attack. It’s too early, and such matters require thorough investigations. What we can say is that we have offered assistance to Kosovo’s authorities. We think it’s extremely important that a careful investigation is carried out to identify those responsible,” Hovenier said.
The European Union also condemned the Zubin Potok attack, describing it as a “terrorist act” and “sabotage” against Kosovo’s critical infrastructure.
The explosion occurred on November 29 in the village of Varragë in the Zubin Potok municipality, which has a Serbian majority in the northern part of Kosovo.
Kosovo Police have stated that the attack was carried out with explosive materials weighing up to 20 kilograms.
The Ibër-Lepenc channel supplies water from the Ujman Lake to the entire northern part of Kosovo, including the Mitrovica and Pristina regions, as well as the Kosovo Energy Corporation for cooling its thermal power plants.
Since the explosion on the Ibër-Lepenc water channel, Kosovo authorities have been conducting raids in the northern part of the country, which is predominantly Serbian.
During the raids, Kosovo Police reported seizing various weapons, military equipment, and uniforms.
Additionally, out of the ten individuals detained by the police as suspects in the explosion, two have been sent to pretrial detention for one month.
