Syrian rebels forced out of their homes eight years ago are returning with their families after almost a decade of exile in the opposition’s enclave of Idlib.

The fighters, some of them jihadists, were driven out of the Aleppo region after a successful government offensive in 2016.

But after last week’s lightning-fast offensive pushed government forces out of the area, many were seen making a tearful return to those left behind.

One video that circulated on social media showed a fighter desperately running across a field to greet a relative.