Syrian rebels "seeking advice" from ex-KLA

DAMASCUS, PRIŠTINA -- The Syrian opposition is seeking advice from a former member of the ethnic Albanian KLA - "now a politician" - on "how to overthrow Bashar al-Assad's regime".

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This is according to "a Syrian dissident", who was quoted by news agencies.

The AP reported that Amar Abdulhamid, "an activist in exile", said that "an example of a country emerging from a nightmare and appearing as a state" can be inspiring for Syria's "dissidents".

The statement was made in apparent reference to the unilateral declaration of independence made ​​by ethnic Albanians in Kosovo some four years ago.

According to reports on Thursday, Abdulhamid is "one of three Syrian opposition activists visited Kosovo, where they met with former members of the KLA".

The now disbanded so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was considered to be a terrorist group by the Serbian authorities.

Meanwhile, the United Nations said that clashes Syria, which began in March last year, left more than 9,000 people dead, while the government in Damascus said that the lives of 3,838 people - 2,493 civilians and 1,345 members of the Syrian security forces - were lost.