BELGRADE, Serbia — 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.

“Belgrade and Serbia have nothing to do with those events,” Vucic said.

Vucic 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.”

— The Associated Press