PRISTINA (Reuters) – The government of Kosovo said on Monday it had foiled a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Albin Kurti in 2021, partially confirming a report by an Albanian television station.
In a statement to journalists about the reported plot, the government said that Kosovo’s intelligence agency informed Kurti at the time.
“Prime Minister Albin Kurti was notified of this issue (in 2021) by the Kosovo Intelligence Agency and security institutions took all measures to prevent this action,” it said in the statement.
The case had not been made public “in order not to spread panic,” it said.
The statement did not give any further details.
Tirana-based television A2 reported on Monday that it had obtained information about the plot from data published online by Iranian hackers.
According to A2, this included a notice from Kosovo police to its Albanian counterparts that an Albanian citizen was planning to assassinate Kosovo’s prime minister, a lawmaker and another person, in order to “destabilise the country”.
The police forces in Albania and in Kosovo could not be reached for comment.
A2 said the information was leaked as part of recent cyberattacks on Albania which Tirana blames on Iran.
A cyberattack in July temporarily disrupted government websites and other public services which prompted Albania to cut relations with the Islamic Republic and ordered Iranian diplomats and embassy staff to leave within 24 hours.
(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
