Clinton: With more defections, Syrian regime's 'days are numbered' A member of the Free Syria Army walks past a destroyed Syrian forces tank in the town Atareb in northern Aleppo province. Clinton: An end to violence and a start to a political transition might prevent a "catastrophic assault" At least 30 people are killed across Syria on Sunday, an opposition group says Ban Ki-moon elaborates on an idea to keep observers, but shift their work (CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Sunday that "the days are numbered" for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime. "There is no doubt that the opposition is getting more effective in their defense of themselves and in going on the offense against the Syrian military and the Syrian government's militias," Clinton said during a press conference in Tokyo on Sunday. And with a recent increase in defections from the al-Assad regime, "the sand is running out of the hourglass," Clinton said. "The sooner there can be an end to the violence and a beginning of a political transition process, not only will fewer people die, but there's a chance to save the Syrian state from a catastrophic assault that would be very dangerous not only to Syria but to the region," she said. Clinton, speaking at a Tokyo conference on Afghanistan, acknowledged that a peace plan brokered by U.N.-Arab League special envoy Kofi Annan has thus far failed to stymie the bloodbath in Syria that has continued for 16 months. That violence raged on again Sunday, when at least 30 people were killed across the country, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists. Despite the escalating chaos in Syria that led to the suspension of monitoring activities, the United Nations can continue to play a crucial role in the embattled country, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a report to be presented to the Security Council. The document admits the efforts to implement Annan's peace plan -- which includes a cease-fire and take measures to protect human rights -- has not worked. In some places, the levels of violence are even higher today than they were before an initial cease-fire attempt, the report says. Military: Shelling from Syria hits Lebanon The 300-strong U.N. team in Syria, whose mission is to observe and help implement the plan, has been unable to do its work as envisioned because of the current conditions, the document states. Ban essentially put three options on the table are: withdrawing the U.N. team; increasing its size or adding armed protection for them; or retooling the mission of the current team. Withdrawing from Syria would ensure the safety of the team, but it could signal a loss of confidence in the hopes of a cease-fire and leave the U.N. without a way to monitor progress, the report says. Analysis: Syria options dwindling