A barrage of gunfire by security forces that left residents cowering in their homes killed at least nine people and wounded several others on Wednesday in Homs, a hotbed of opposition to President Bashar Assad's regime, said activists and residents.
Two others were shot dead during raids in Sarameen, in northern Syria.
In a step the opposition says shows the regime is intractable, a planned visit by the Arab League Secretary General to push Mr. Assad to make major concessions to defuse the 6-month-old crisis was called off at the last minute at the government's request.
Arab League Deputy Secretary-General Ahmed Ben Heli told reporters in Egypt that Elaraby would now visit Damascus on Saturday.