The group was based in the highland and lowland regions of Eritrea, and was split in two factions.
The lowland based faction in the coastal regions of Eritrea, under the command of Ali Said Abdella, was the Shaebia or the Red Sea faction.
The name of this group came about from a mountainous area in northern Eritrea which they held their first meeting.
During the Eritrean Civil Wars, animosity between the PLF's two factions grew.
In 1976, these two organizations would come together to merge and create the Eritrean People's Liberation Front.