Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, Jan. 15

TRIPOLI -- A medical source confirmed Monday that the casualties of an earlier attack in the International Airport of the Libyan capital Tripoli increased to 16 deaths and 48 injuries, including civilians.

"The victims include civilians. The injured have been transferred to several hospitals and clinics in Tripoli," Abduddayem Al-Rabri, director of Tripoli field hospital, told Xinhua. (Libya-Attack)

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ANKARA -- Turkey deployed tanks and armored vehicles on the Syrian border after warning of an imminent offensive against a Kurdish stronghold in northwestern Syria, an assault which could be however of limited scope, said experts.

"Turkey is ready, our preparations are ready. An operation may start at any moment now," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during an opening ceremony in Ankara. (Turkey-Syria-Kurds)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Sadeq Amoli Larijani on Monday vowed "proportional reaction" to the new U.S. sanctions on Iranian entities and individuals.

Larijani, who is also among the individuals sanctioned, said that the sanctions against the judiciary chief of a country is "crossing all international red lines," the Tasnim news agency reported. (Iran-U.S.-Sanctions)

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ABU DHABI -- The United Arab Emirates (UAE) unveiled Monday the world's largest reserve of desalinated water.

The system was secured in a network of 315 recovery wells lying up to 80 meters below the UAE's Liwa Desert. (UAE-Reserve) Enditem