PRISTINA (Reuters) -An explosion on Friday evening damaged a canal in northern Kosovo supplying water to two coal-fired power plants that generate nearly all of the country's electricity, authorities said, blaming what they called "a terrorist act."
There were no immediate reports of injuries and the cause of the blast was not clear.
Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla told local media from the scene that the explosion, which occurred before 7 p.m. (1800 GMT), was "a terrorist act" and that part of the canal was damaged.
Earlier on Friday, Kosovo police announced increased security measures after two recent attacks where hand grenades where hurled at a police station and municipality building in northern Kosovo where ethnic Serbians live. It was not clear if the incidents were linked.
In a sign of ethnic tensions, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani blamed "Serbian criminal gangs" for the attack, without providing evidence.
Local media showed pictures of part of the canal destroyed and leaking water and a heavy police presence at the site. Reuters could not immediately verify the images.
Faruk Mujka, the head of water company Ibar-Lepenci, told local news portal Kallxo that an explosive device was thrown into the canal and damaged the wall of a bridge.
He said the water supply, which also feeds drinking water to the capital Pristina, must be halted to fix the problem as soon as possible since it was the main channel for supplying Kosovo Energy Corporation (KEK), the country's main power provider.
Independence for ethnic Albanian-majority Kosovo came in 2008, almost a decade after a guerrilla uprising against Serbian rule. However tensions persist, mainly in the north where the Serb minority refuses to recognise Kosovo's statehood and still sees Belgrade as their capital.
(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci, writing by Lefteris Papadimas and Edward McAllister, editing by Deepa Babington)
