(CNN) -- The stench of the burnt bodies was so potent, Abu Jafar said, he could smell it from 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) away.
"It smells awful because the regime appears to have burnt so many bodies recently," the opposition activist said Sunday from the beleaguered city of Homs."Some cars arrived this morning and carried away dead bodies. We are not sure where."Jafar's account comes a day after what may be the deadliest day yet in Syria's 21-month civil war, according to opposition figures.Lakhdar Brahimi, the joint U.N.-Arab League envoy, gave a dire warning Sunday on the rapidly deteriorating situation in Syria."If nearly 50,000 people have been killed in about two years, do not expect just 25,000 people to die next year -- maybe 100,000 will die," he told reporters in Cairo."The pace is increasing," he said."A solution is still possible, but it is only getting more complicated every day," Brahimi added. "Had we dealt more carefully with this conflict in 2011, it would have been much easier to resolve it. There is no question that it is much harder today."Brahimi met Sunday with Nabil Elaraby, secretary-general of the Arab League.On Saturday, Brahimi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Russia and China have used their veto power in the U.N. Security Council to block some of the toughest resolutions proposed against the Syrian regime.var currExpandable="expand111";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='world/2012/12/26/wr-jamjoom-syria-defection.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121226091217-wr-jamjoom-syria-defection-00004919-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand111Store=mObj;Traveling heavily in hopes of brokering a halt to the war, Brahimi said last week he is pinning his hopes on the formation of a transitional government in Damascus that would hold power until an election.var currExpandable="expand112";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='world/2012/12/24/jamjoom-syria-bakery-attack.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121224031213-jamjoom-syria-bakery-attack-00002015-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand112Store=mObj;At least 397 people were killed across the country Saturday, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. At least 143 deaths were reported Sunday, including 10 children.var currExpandable="expand113";if(typeof CNN.expandableMap==='object'){CNN.expandableMap.push(currExpandable);}var mObj={};mObj.type='video';mObj.contentId='';mObj.source='world/2012/12/23/jamjoon-syria-violence-saturday.cnn';mObj.videoSource='CNN';mObj.videoSourceUrl='';mObj.lgImage="http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/121223121744-jamjoon-syria-violence-saturday-00003909-story-body.jpg";mObj.lgImageX=300;mObj.lgImageY=169;mObj.origImageX="214";mObj.origImageY="120";mObj.contentType='video';CNN.expElements.expand113Store=mObj;The LCC said Saturday's death toll included more than 200 people who were captured and "field executed" by Syrian soldiers in the Homs suburb of Deir Baalbeh after Syrian forces won a battle there.The group's representative in Deir Baalbeh said he could only personally account for 27 deaths, but said a Syrian soldier who had been captured by rebels said government forces killed at least 200 people in the suburb.The group posted video of several men's bodies lined up in a grassy field with wounds to the head, in what it claimed was footage taken by witnesses.Jafar said he believes Deir Baalbeh was targeted "because it is the main gate to reach the Khaldiya neighborhood, which has been under the control of the rebels."Syrian state-run TV confirmed there was conflict in the area but said that government forces had been chasing down "terrorists." News footage showed bodies that appeared to have been dragged across the floor in a building, leaving long trails of blood behind.The news report said forces had killed "several terrorists" in the Deir Baalbeh area. The government frequently refers to rebels seeking to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad as "terrorists."But another opposition activist in Homs, Hadi Abdallah, said the situation in nearby Deir Baalbeh "is only turning from bad to worse.""Smoke is rising from Deir Baalbeh this morning, and a stench is coming out of some of its streets due to the burning of some corpses by the regime forces," Abdallah said Sunday."What is noticeable in the bodies we found yesterday and today in Deir Baalbeh is that they appear to have been slaughtered at the neck and then burned, including women and children. Others appear to have been killed from knife and bullet wounds."Syria's state-run news agency SANA said Sunday that the military has been killing many terrorists.One army unit "killed several terrorists and injured many others" and destroyed launchers of locally made missiles that the terrorists had used to attack orchards in the Maartamasrin area in Idlib province, SANA reported.CNN cannot independently confirm casualty and other reports as Syria's government has severely restricted access to the country.CNN's Hamdi Alkhshali contributed to this report.
December 29, 2012 -- Updated 1548 GMT (2348 HKT) 
Expectant mother Ayat Al-Qassab was killed by a rocket just months after she was married.
Syrian children don't paint flowers and teddy bears, but some of the images they saw in the hometowns they were forced to abandon -- bodies.December 14, 2012 -- Updated 2057 GMT (0457 HKT) 
The war has forced hundreds of thousands of people from their homes; the lucky ones have found shelter across the border in crammed camps.December 14, 2012 -- Updated 1215 GMT (2015 HKT) 
Half a million have registered as refugees -- but one Red Cross worker says the true figure is far higher as many are scared to register.December 14, 2012 -- Updated 1205 GMT (2005 HKT) 
CNN's Ivan Watson speaks to a 32-year-old violinist -- who used to perform at the Damascus Opera House -- about the life on the run.December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1120 GMT (1920 HKT) 
Amid the constant threat of a street battle erupting around the corner, a new underground TV channel has become must-see for residents of Aleppo.December 12, 2012 -- Updated 1044 GMT (1844 HKT) 
With the precision of a chef, Sheik Omar adjusts the flame under his pan. He mixes sugar with a noxious chemical to make bombs for opposition.December 5, 2012 -- Updated 1236 GMT (2036 HKT) 
Children elbow each other for the last burnt scraps of cracked wheat. Even as fighting subsides in parts of Aleppo, fear and chaos remain.November 17, 2012 -- Updated 2305 GMT (0705 HKT) 
Syrian fight overflows to Turkish town of Ceylanpinar, where residents deal with explosions, bullets or bombs coming from the Syrian side.December 5, 2012 -- Updated 1232 GMT (2032 HKT) 
Down a steep stone stairway and into the darkness lies a cold chamber that looks more like a dungeon than a home. CNN's Arwa Damon reports.November 9, 2012 -- Updated 1223 GMT (2023 HKT) 
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made an ominous threat against foreign intervention, saying it would have a "domino impact" on the world.November 27, 2012 -- Updated 0311 GMT (1111 HKT) 
Photojournalist Robert King describes the bombs that fell on a hospital and other fatal attacks he saw in Syria.December 28, 2012 -- Updated 1217 GMT (2017 HKT) 
As the conflict drags on, hundreds of thousands of people see their homes and lifes destroyed. See the latest photos from Syria.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1516 GMT (2316 HKT) 
CNN's Arwa Damon reports from inside Aleppo on a female Syrian war photographer breaking taboos in the name of freedom. October 11, 2012 -- Updated 1119 GMT (1919 HKT) 
The recent confrontation could ignite regional convulsions as Turkey is sucked into Syria, leading to belated actions from the international community.
Are you in Syria? Share your stories, videos and photos with the world on CNN iReport, but please stay safe.Today's five most popular stories
Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is accused of killing 16 Afghans.NEW: Staff Sgt. Robert Bales' attorney calls Army, government prosecutors "irresponsible"Bales' wife, Karilyn, says she's unsure if he can get a fair trial Bales is accused of killing 16 and wounding six Afghans in March shooting spree
It is way more difficult to find an efficient weapon in Europe, and this challenge may deter potential murderers, Philippe Coste writes.
A gunman opened fire in a Connecticut elementary school on December 14, killing 26 people -- 20 of them children. Learn more about the victims.December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1859 GMT (0259 HKT) 
They were hiding in a place security officers called a "safe area." It was anything but. Outside an angry crowd grew, gunfire rang out, a fire blazed.December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1549 GMT (2349 HKT) 
With a death-defying leap, a hot novel and the U.S. election -- 2012 has been an incredible year. Watch the highlights in CNN's video mash-up.December 19, 2012 -- Updated 0848 GMT (1648 HKT) 
Forget old conspiracy theories about snake bites and fatal poisons. King Ramesses III died after a brutal throat slashing, a new study says.December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1042 GMT (1842 HKT) 
In the crowded world of social media, with its virtual currency of likes and followers, some people will do anything for attention.December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1248 GMT (2048 HKT) 
It's not easy carrying the burden of a sports-mad nation's lofty expectations of world-beating dominance on your shoulders.December 7, 2012 -- Updated 1439 GMT (2239 HKT) 
If you've got dinner reservations for December 22, there's probably no point in changing them on account of an apocalyptic prophecy.
It's a heartbreaking story that shocked the nation and the world. Many wanted to honor the victims. Here are their stories.December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1600 GMT (0000 HKT) 
UK ministers give Queen Elizabeth II place mats and a continent, sort of, as she attends her first cabinet meeting.December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1121 GMT (1921 HKT) 
Clamerbing into a vat of freezing water has long been part of a high-intensity training. But is it the best way to chill out after strenuous exercise?December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1644 GMT (0044 HKT) 
It's being billed as "Lego for adults" and could mean your fondness for construction toys may no longer be just a guilty pleasure. December 19, 2012 -- Updated 1139 GMT (1939 HKT) 
Step into any nightclub in Lagos and you''ll find yourself immersed in a sonic journey of pulsating beats, groovy samples and hip-hop kicks.
Amy Winehouse outside Westminster Magistrates Court in London on July 23, 2009.A new coroner's inquest into Amy Winehouse's death will begin on January 8The assistant deputy coroner who ruled on the death did not have required legal credentialsThe original coroner's report concluded it was a "death by misadventure"Winehouse was found dead at her north London home July 23, 2011
How a massacre in Australia resulted in tougher rules on the ownership of firearms -- and how that changed the country.December 16, 2012 -- Updated 0830 GMT (1630 HKT) 
Two schools, two attacks, two countries on the same day. But in China there were no fatalities: the attacker used a knife, not a gun.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1312 GMT (2112 HKT) 
The shocking scenes at Sandy Hook Elementary School have added another name to the list of small towns scarred by tragedy.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1113 GMT (1913 HKT) 
The North Korean leader may have departed from his father's style, but repression and malnutrition remain.
Malala or Merkel? Zuckerberg or Baumgartner? Tell us the famous face who mattered most to you during the last 12 months.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1605 GMT (0005 HKT) 
When Aesha Mohammadzai's disfigured image appeared on Time magazine, it symbolized the oppression of Afghan women. What happened next?December 14, 2012 -- Updated 2057 GMT (0457 HKT) 
Tensions with the U.S., the push to clean corruption and plans to land on the moon are trends to watch next year, writes Kristie Lu Stout.December 13, 2012 -- Updated 1345 GMT (2145 HKT) 
She's laid down the law in female skiing; now Lindsey Vonn is pondering legal action in her quest to test herself against male skiers.
Kaye Martindale and Geoff Brokate traveled through Pakistan for eight months photographing local women, including Malala Yousafzai.December 14, 2012 -- Updated 1205 GMT (2005 HKT) 
Greece's financial crisis is causing some to escape the big cities and opt instead for rural living. CNN's Diana Magnay reports.