The police arrest 8 suspects, confiscate weapons and explosives after the attack in Ibër-Lepenc

2024-11-30 18:30:09, Kosova & Bota CNA

The police arrest 8 suspects, confiscate weapons and explosives after the attack

Kosovo authorities have arrested eight suspects and confiscated weapons, including explosives, after a wide-ranging operation on Saturday in connection with an explosion in the Ibër-Lepenci canal in the north of Kosovo, announced the Minister of the Interior of Kosovo, Xhelal Sveçla.

The explosion on Friday evening caused significant damage to the Ibër-Lepenci water channel in the village of Varragë in the municipality of Zubin Potok, prompting the Kosovar authorities to accuse Serbia of a "criminal and terrorist" attack on the country's vital infrastructure.

Speaking at an extraordinary media conference in South Mitrovica, Sveçla said that the explosion at the Ibër-Lepenci canal, which supplies some parts of the country with water, was the most severe for the country's critical infrastructure since the war in Kosovo on 1998-1999.

"This terrorist attack is not an ordinary attack, but coordinated by terrorist organizations... the aim was to cause maximum damage to the state of Kosovo and its citizens", he said.

Those arrested are also suspected of connection and instigation of the recent attacks in the north of the country during this week, such as the attack with hand grenades on the police station and the Municipality building in Zveçan, said Sveçla.

Kosovo's security authorities, including the Kosovo Intelligence Agency (KIA), conducted a wide-ranging operation on Saturday in 10 locations, Sveçla said.

"The control resulted in the confiscation of an arsenal of weapons and ammunition, explosives, various equipment, including emblems and hundreds of uniforms and military equipment. These will serve as evidence for these criminal acts", said Sveçla.

The Director of the Kosovo Police, speaking at the joint conference with the Minister of Sveçla, said that explosives up to 20 kilograms were used in the attack on the Ibër-Lepenci canal.

"Based on the investigations at the scene, it is suspected that a large amount of explosives of 15 to 20 kilograms were used to carry out this terrorist attack. The explosive was placed in a black bag and was activated with a mechanical detonator, through a slow-burning wick," said Hoxha.

Hoxha said that those arrested are suspected of involvement in the attack on the water channel on Friday and that they are part of the "Civil Defense", which has been operating illegally in northern Kosovo since 2011.

In June of last year, the Government of Kosovo declared "Civil Defense" a terrorist organization.

"We have reason to believe that in one form or another, these were connected to the case of last night's terrorist attack and to illegal activities from much earlier and most of them are part of the Civil Defense", said Hoxha.

During the police action, over 200 military uniforms, six hand rocket launchers, three hand grenades, two AK47 rifles, a revolver, ammunition of various calibers, weapon parts, fuses for initiating explosives, military helmets, masks, were seized. knives, money in currencies such as euros and dinars and other equipment, said Hoxha.

In a separate raid in Zveçan, he said that today the police confiscated significant amounts of hidden weapons such as two AK47 rifles, three revolvers, a hunting gun, two recreational weapons, six AK47 magazines, ammunition and military uniforms.

He said the seized weaponry could be linked to this week's attacks and other cases authorities are dealing with.

Hoxha did not want to give more details, saying that the investigations of this case could be damaged.

"You must understand that we are talking about a very serious case. If we give too much information, we harm our process. They are materials and evidence that were found in today's raids, and that are suspected to be related to last night's attack", he said.

Hoxha said that the explosion caused great damage, causing the drinking water supply to be interrupted in many areas and localities.

From the Ibër-Lepenci hydro-system, in Gazivodë (Zubin Potok), water is supplied to the entire north of Kosovo, as well as Prishtina and its surroundings, including the Kosovo Energy Corporation for the cooling of its thermal power plants.

The Kosovar authorities announced on Saturday afternoon that the water of Ibër-Lepenci is undrinkable, while the electricity supply is stable.

Earlier, the prime minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said that Serbia is responsible for the "criminal and terrorist attack", which, according to him, was intended to "damage perhaps the most important infrastructure" of the country.

Serbia has denied the accusations of the Kosovar authorities.

The attack has been condemned by the international community, which has demanded that those responsible be brought to justice.

The European Union described the explosion against the Ibër-Lepenci canal as a "terrorist" attack as well as a "sabotage" act./ REL