ANKARA

United Arab Emirates has sent many spy agents to Syria to train YPG/PKK terrorists over the past few years, Anadolu Agency has learned from multiple sources.

After holding secret talks with the terrorists in 2017, the UAE sent intelligence officers in the area the following year.

They train YPG/PKK terrorists in espionage, counter-espionage, sabotage, assassination acts, signal intelligence, information security and communication networks.

These trainings were held in Qamishli, Hasaka and Deir ez-Zor in northwestern Syria.

The Emirati officers also established a secret direct hotline with the terrorists.

The codenames of these agents are available with Anadolu Agency.

The agent code-named Abdullatif Abdulkadir Hamrush stayed in terror camps in Qamishli for a year giving trainings on information security and signal intelligence.

Mohammed Abdulkadir al-Shehhi, another UAE agent, carried out killings on behalf of the terrorists in Syria.

Ahmed Rashid Muhammed also provided trainings to the organization on cryptology and communication networks.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the PKK's Syrian offshoot.

*Writing by Erdogan Cagatay Zontur