Database: Identifiers of Designated Islamic Terrorist Organizations
Liwa Zainebiyoun
Designation Status (as of October 12, 2026)
| US State Dept FTO | Not listed official list |
|---|---|
| US Treasury OFAC SDN (SDGT) | Listed ZAYNABIYOUN BRIGADE |
| UK Proscribed | Not listed official list |
| EU Terrorist Lists | Not listed official list |
| Canada Listed Entities | Not listed official list |
| Australia Listed | Not listed official list |
Profile written 2015 The profile below is the original Jihad Intel text and has not been updated. Designation status above is current.
Not yet designated terrorist by a Western country
Base of operations: Syria
Liwa Zainebiyoun (People of Zainab Brigade) is a contingent of Pakistani Shi'a fighters in Syria, officially fighting to defend the Sayyida Zainab shrine in Damascus. A Facebook account for Liwa al-Fatemiyoun (the Afghan Shi'a contingent in Syria) has confirmed to the author of this database its existence, claiming that it draws on Afghan Shi'a based in Pakistan, as well as Pakistani Shi'a based in Iran and Syria. This would suggest links with Iran and Liwa al-Fatemiyoun. More recently some evidence of funerals in Iran for Liwa Zainebiyoun fighters has turned up. Considering the persecution Pakistani Shi'a have endured, they form a viable pool for Iran to recruit fighters on the basis of a sectarian narrative of Shi'a under genocidal threat.
As of October 2015, Liwa Zainebiyoun now has an overt social media presence.
