Kofi Annan to meet with Syrian president as 6 reported killed New violence erupts in various parts Saturday, opposition activists say Opposition: "The regime's army is indiscriminately bombing" a Daraa village Report: Seven Syrian officials defect and flee to Turkey But U.S. intelligence officials say there is no significant drop in support for al-Assad in his inner circle (CNN) -- A former United Nations secretary-general will meet with the Syrian president Saturday in the latest diplomatic attempt to halt the bloodshed against anti-government protesters in the country. But by mid-morning, fresh violence had left at least six people dead, opposition activists said. Kofi Annan, the joint special envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League, will meet President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus "to seek an urgent end to ... human rights violations and to initiate efforts to promote a peaceful solution" to the violence that has wracked the country for nearly a year, his spokesman said. Annan will meet with the president Saturday morning and with other groups later in the day, said Ahmad Fawzi, his spokesman. Annan will then stay overnight in Damascus to see if he can get a response Sunday, according to his spokesman. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that in a telephone call Friday, he urged Annan "to ensure that there must be an immediate cease-fire" followed by "an inclusive political solution." Ban said he also asked his predecessor to facilitate humanitarian assistance and access. After leaving Damascus on Sunday, Annan will meet with opposition leaders in the region, Ban said. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Annan will "try to broker a swift transition in which ultimately Assad steps aside and the people of Syria are able to choose an interim government that's representative and leads to elections." In addition, Rice said, he will try to stop the fighting and ensure access to humanitarian agencies. She said the pressure on al-Assad has been growing as international economic sanctions have taken effect. "We see their currency crashing, we see businesses having real difficulty thriving so the noose around his neck is tightening," she said. Rice added that she wants the situation to be resolved peacefully, "to the extent that that remains still a viable outcome." But violent clashes between government forces and defected soldiers in the town of Daraya left several people dead Saturday, opposition activists said. Two regime soldiers and three defected soldiers were killed in the clashes, and one civilian was later killed by security forces, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition activist group. And heavy shelling rocked the cities of Homs, Damascus and Idlib, said the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, a network of opposition activists. And in the Daraa village of Jezah, "the regime's army is indiscriminately bombing the city with anti-aircraft missiles. They village is under siege in all directions," the group said. The reports come a day after 85 people were killed across Syria on Friday, including 33 in Idlib and 26 in Homs, the LCC said. A video uploaded to YouTube purportedly shot in Homs shows a dead body, its head blown off by shrapnel. This is Bashar Assad's message to us. This is how he is welcoming Kofi Annan's visit," a man's voice on the video says. We ask the Arab world to look at this dead body, to the whole world, to Kofi Annan -- look at our sufferings. This old man was killed for no reason. ... May God curse you, Bashar. CNN cannot verify the authenticity of the video. The violence has fueled a humanitarian crisis, with residents an opposition activists reporting scarce or no access to food, running water, electricity and medical supplies in some areas. During a visit to Syria this week, Valerie Amos, the U.N. humanitarian chief, said she had submitted a proposal to Syria for "unhindered" aid-worker access and asked the government to respond urgently. Amos said the Syrian government "asked for more time to look at the agreement that I put to them." She visited Homs and parts of the Baba Amr neighborhood -- the anti-government bastion that endured weeks of government pounding. The brutality in Syria has prompted thousands to flee to neighboring countries, such as Lebanon and Turkey, officials said. The semi-official Turkish news agency also reported that seven Syrian officers have joined the opposition and entered Turkey from Hatay province. The defectors include four generals, two colonels and one lieutenant colonel, Anatolian said, citing local authorities. But senior U.S. intelligence officials said Friday that they see no signs of significant deterioration of support for al-Assad by his inner circle. The officials, who would speak only on the condition of anonymity, said that the defections so far have been of lower-level officials and those in the military. None of those defections, including the group of military officers who reportedly defected this week, is close enough to al-Assad to truly make a difference, the senior intelligence officials said. The officials, noting that fuel and food prices are significantly higher and unemployment has nearly doubled since 2010, said that Syria's crumbling economy could be the president's Achilles' heel. The United Nations says more than 7,500 have died in the past year, and at least one activist group says more than 9,000 people have been killed. CNN cannot independently confirm opposition or government reports of casualties or attacks from across Syria because the government has severely restricted the access of international journalists. But the vast majority of reports from from inside Syria indicate the government is slaughtering civilians in an attempt to quash the opposition. Syrian government warned of the consequences for journalists trying to sneak into the country. "The Information Ministry is monitoring the illegal entry of some correspondents from Arab and foreign media establishments into Syria, in addition to monitoring the employment of correspondents illegally, affirming that it will take the necessary legal steps against these individuals and establishments," the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency reported Saturday. The Syrian regime has consistently blamed violence in the country on "armed terrorist groups." Meanwhile, China announced it is sending an envoy to the Middle East and Europe to push for a "fair solution" in Syria. Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Ming will begin a four-day trip Saturday to meet with government officials in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France, ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said Friday, according to the Xinhua news agency. "Zhang's visit is intended to strengthen communication and negotiation with relevant parties on a political resolution for the Syrian issue," Liu said. Russia and China vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution last month that called for al-Assad to transfer power. CNN's Saad Abedine, Amir Ahmed, Barbara Starr, Talia Kayali, Hamdi Alkhshali, Salma Abdelaziz and Nada Husseini contributed to this report.