- Clinton will meet various Gulf officials, including Saudi's King Abdullah
- Talks will include efforts to end the bloody crackdown against protesters in Syria
- They will also discuss bilateral and regional issues
- Opposition activists report shelling and raids in several neighborhoods
Editor's note: Are you there? Send us your images or video. Also, read this report in Arabic.
(CNN) -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Saudi Arabia on Friday for talks aimed at ending bloodshed in Syria as opposition activists report new shelling and raids in several neighborhoods.
Clinton will meet various Gulf officials, including Saudi's King Abdullah, to discuss bilateral and regional issues. Talks will include continued efforts to end the bloody crackdown against anti- government protesters in Syria.
She will then travel to Istanbul on Saturday and Sunday to attend the second meeting of the "Friends of the Syrian People."
"This meeting will build upon steps that our friends, allies, and the Syrian opposition continue to take in an attempt to halt the slaughter of the Syrian people and pursue a transition to democracy in Syria," the State Department said.
The latest efforts to end the bloodshed follow Syria's acceptance of a six-point initiative by Kofi Annan, which activists and diplomats say the nation has not implemented.
Security forces shelled and stormed various cities, leaving at least two people dead Friday in Homs province, opposition activists said.
And at least 15 mortars targeted Homs city neighborhoods including Bab Tudmor and Safsafa, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Clashes between military defectors and security forces erupted in Hama, Deir Ezzor and the Damascus Countryside province, the opposition Local Coordination Committees in Syria said.
The United Nations estimates that the Syrian conflict has killed more than 9,000 people since a government crackdown on protesters began last March. Opposition activists put the toll at more than 10,000.
CNN cannot independently confirm reports from inside Syria because the government severely restricts access by international journalists.
Syria routinely blames armed terrorist groups for violence in the country, while most reports from inside the nation suggest the government is slaughtering civilians in an attempt to wipe out dissidents.
In a letter on state media, President Bashar al-Assad expressed hope that Annan will deal with the crisis, saying Syria is willing to conduct a national dialogue with groups seeking stability.
He urged Annan to focus on drying up sources supporting terrorism against Syria, especially by countries that have pledged to finance and arm "terrorist groups."
"In return for a formal commitment by Syria for the success of Annan's mission, it is necessary for him to obtain commitments from other parties to stop all terrorist acts, disarm gunmen and to end their terrorist acts, kidnapping, killing innocents and sabotaging infrastructure," SANA reported, quoting al-Assad.
Annan, a former U.N. secretary-general, is the joint special envoy for the Arab League and the United Nations. His peace plan calls for an end to the violence by the government and opposition, timely humanitarian aid, speeding the release of "arbitrarily detained" people, ensuring freedom of movement for journalists and respecting peaceful demonstrations and freedom of association.
Annan intends to join the U.N. Security Council in a private meeting Monday in which he will brief members on his plan.
Meanwhile, at the weekend meeting with Clinton, Turkey plans to renew a call for international help to deal with the soaring numbers of Syrians fleeing violence to Turkey's southern provinces.
CNN's Amir Ahmed, Joe Sterling, Tracy Douiery, Richard Roth and Gavino Garay contributed to this report.
