In September 2017, someone attempted to assassinate Azad Shabo by placing a bomb under his car, though the explosive device was found and destroyed before it could harm anyone. In early 2018, the Azadî Battalion participated in Operation Olive Branch, causing the pro-PYD Hawar News Agency to claim that Azad Shabo's men acted as "mercenaries" for the Kurdish National Council and Turkey. On the other side, Azad Shabo accused the YPG of being "agents of the Syrian regime" and said that the campaign would not end before Afrin had been captured from the YPG. In another interview, he further stated that "Afrin will return to the arms of the Syrian revolution and will win back the rights of its people. The YPG is no different from Assad’s regime. They have both practiced tyranny and murder against Kurds. Operation Olive Branch will liberate Afrin's inhabitants." An Azadî Battalion commander accused Iran of increasing its presence through proxy militias in southeastern Aleppo in October 2018, claiming that said militias were lawless and not loyal to Syrian authorities.