BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbia on Sunday rejected any responsibility for a powerful explosion that temporarily cut water and power supplies to large swathes of neighboring Kosovo, with Serbia's president claiming such accusations are part of a “hybrid” warfare against his country.
Kosovo officials said police had arrested eight people after an explosion on Friday in the northern Serb-populated part of the state hit a canal that sends water to its two main power plants. Pristina called it a “terrorist act” conducted by Serbia.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic rejected those accusations.
“On Friday, there was an attempt of a large hybrid attack on our country,” Vucic said. “Belgrade and Serbia have nothing to do with those events.”
The populist Serbian leader suggested Kosovo was behind the attack but said he would refrain from directly accusing Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti pending an investigation conducted by Belgrade.
“I will not say that Kurti directly ordered the attack," Vucic said. “The investigation will show, we have certain suspicions. We believe we have certain findings who could be the perpetrator.”
“During that so-called anti-terrorist operation, Kurti’s special forces occupied new intersections and streets, harassing Serbs, and it was all a show for the international public," Vucic said.
Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said the recent attacks in Kosovo — on a water canal, town hall building and police station — were correlated with the recent attacks from Russia in Ukraine.
“That attack has correlation with the massive air attacks of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, attacks which targeted energy infrastructure in Ukraine,” he said at a news conference on Sunday.
Kosovo police have raided 10 locations in the north, confiscating more than 200 military uniforms, six shoulder-fired rocket launchers, long weapons, pistols and ammunition, they said. About 15 to 20 kilograms (30 to 45 pounds) of explosives were used to damage the critical infrastructure, according to Kosovo police chief Gazmend Hoxha.
Police also found many emblems of the Russian special forces and Russian empire flags, according to Kurti, adding that “Serbia is copying Russian methods to threaten Kosovo and the region in general.”
The explosion has further fueled tensions between the two Balkan states. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, which is not recognized by Belgrade. Most of the Serb minority living in Kosovo still consider Belgrade as their capital.
The European Union and the United States strongly denounced the explosion and demanded that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic speaks during a news conference with Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico in the Serbia Palace in Belgrade, Serbia, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
MILAN (AP) — The Italian league title race didn’t seem so important on Sunday after a player collapsed on the field during a Serie A match.
League leader Napoli had won 1-0 at Torino earlier in the day and was waiting to see how its rivals would fare, especially Fiorentina and Inter Milan, which were playing each other later Sunday and were just four points behind.
However, Fiorentina midfielder Edoardo Bove fell to the ground in the 16th minute of the match, which was abandoned shortly afterward with the scoreline at 0-0.
The 22-year-old Bove was swiftly stretchered off to an ambulance and taken to hospital. There has been no update so far from his club on the player's condition.
Fiorentina players were distraught on the field and were comforted by staff members as well as Inter players. Several were openly sobbing before both teams filed off the field.
Napoli will end the weekend still top of a tight Serie A table, while at least one of its opponents dropped points.
Scott McTominay scored the only goal of the match in the first half as Napoli pulled away from one of its closest rivals as Lazio lost 3-1 at relegation-threatened Parma.
Lazio stayed on 28 points along with Atalanta, Inter and Fiorentina, while Napoli moved onto 32. Atalanta visits Roma on Monday.
It was an entertaining match at Torino where Napoli broke the deadlock in the 31st minute. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia kept possession as he made his way into the area from the left before laying the ball off to McTominay for the Scotland midfielder to drive into the near bottom corner.
Torino should have leveled almost immediately when Saul Coco just had to bundle the ball into an empty net from close range but somehow fell over it instead.
Napoli had numerous chances to extend its advantage but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic was in impressive form in the Torino goal.
Lazio’s run of seven straight wins had been brought to an end by a draw against Ludogorets in the Europa League midweek and it was worse on Sunday as it fell to its first loss since October.
Lazio had two goals disallowed and a penalty revoked after a VAR check in a frustrating first half for the visitors.
Parma inched four points clear of the drop zone with the win.
Patrick Vieira recorded his first win as Genoa coach with a 2-0 victory at Udinese, which played almost the entire match with 10 men.
Udinese defender Isaak Touré’s match lasted just 120 second before he was sent off for elbowing Genoa’s Alessandro Zanoli in the face.
Andrea Pinamonti fired Genoa in front in the 13th minute and an own goal from Udinese defender Lautaro Giannetti in the second half all but sealed the result.
Vieira was hired during the international break to replace the fired Alberto Gilardino and his debut last week ended in a 2-2 draw against Cagliari.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Parma's Dennis Man scores during the Serie A soccer match between Parma and Lazio at Parma's Ennio Tardini Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (Gianni Santandrea/LaPresse via AP)
Parma's Dennis Man celebrates a goal during the Serie A soccer match between Parma and Lazio at Parma's Ennio Tardini Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024. (Gianni Santandrea/LaPresse via AP)
Torino's Adam Masina and Torino's Saul Coco battles for the ball with Napoli's Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa during the Serie A soccer match between Torino FC and SSC Napoli the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Turin, north west Italy, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Alberto Gandolfo/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's head coach Antonio Conte during the Serie A soccer match between Torino FC and SSC Napoli the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Turin, north west Italy, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's Scott McTominay celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Torino FC and SSC Napoli the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Turin, north west Italy, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
Napoli's Scott McTominay, left, celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Torino FC and SSC Napoli the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino in Turin, north west Italy, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP)
