PRISTINA  -  Kosovo stepped up security measures around “critical” infrastructure Saturday after an explosion at a key canal feeding two of its main power plants, as neighbouring Serbia rejected accusations it had staged the blast. The explosion occurred Friday near the town of Zubin Potok in a Serb-dominated area in Kosovo’s troubled north, damaging the canal supplying water to cooling systems at two coal-fired power plants that generate most of Kosovo’s electricity. Visiting the site on Saturday, Prime Minister Albin Kurti announced that police had arrested several people in connection with the attack. Law enforcement “carried out searches” and “collected testimony and evidence, and the criminals and terrorists will have to face justice and the law,” he said.

The arrests follow a security meeting late Friday, when Kurti pointed blame at Serbia.

“The attack was carried out by professionals. We believe it comes from gangs directed by Serbia,” he told a press conference, without providing evidence. The government later issued a statement echoing his allegations, saying that “initial indications suggest” the explosion had been “orchestrated by the Serbian state, which has the capacity to carry out such a criminal and terrorist attack”. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic hit back Saturday, denying the “irresponsible” and “baseless accusations”.

“Such unfounded claims are aimed to tarnish Serbia’s reputation, as well as to undermine efforts to promote peace and stability in the region,” he said in a statement to AFP.

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric had earlier suggested on X that the Kosovar “regime” could itself be behind the blast, and called for an international investigation.

The main political party representing Serbs in Kosovo, Serb List, also condemned the attack “in the strongest possible terms”.

AFP journalists at the scene saw water leaking heavily from one side of the reinforced canal, which runs from the Serb-majority north of Kosovo to the capital, Pristina, and also supplies drinking water.

However, electricity supplies to consumers were running smoothly on Saturday morning, with authorities having found an alternative method to cool the plants, said Kosovo’s Economy Minister Artane Rizvanolli.

Repair work was ongoing, authorities said, while Kurti confirmed workers had managed to restore water flows to 25 percent capacity.