Originally 250 men strong,[1][3] the militia expanded over time, mostly recruiting Arabs from Manbij city and its surroundings.

[4] Several of its fighters are former Free Syrian Army (FSA) members who abandoned the rebellion against Bashar al-Assad due to the increasing Islamist radicalism among anti-government forces.

[5] Soon after its formation, the Euphrates Liberation Brigade fought the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) west of Manbij during the Battle of al-Bab, in course of which it was allegedly bombed by the Turkish Air Force on 20 November.

[6] In April 2017, elements of the Euphrates Liberation Brigade were among a contingent of 200 MMC fighters that were sent to al-Thawrah in order to help the SDF to capture the city from ISIL.

[7] Under the command of Ibrahim Semho, the militia also took part in the following battle for ISIL's self-proclaimed capital Raqqa.