IS executes two alleged gay men in Syria's Deir al-Zour

The Islamic State (IS) militants stoned to death two young men in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour on charges of having "unlawful" sexual intercourse with other males, a monitoring group reported Tuesday.

The first man was 20-year-old who was stoned to death at the al-Bakara roundabout in the city of Mayadeen in Deir al-Zour and his execution was attended by crowds of civilians, including children, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

It added that the man was arrested by the IS fighters at an earlier time and a video of him having sex with another male was allegedly found stored in his cellphone.

Another young man, said the Observatory, was also stoned to death at the al-Takya Street in the neighborhood of Hamidyeh in Deir al-Zour on the same charges.

After the execution, the bodies of the two men were taken by the IS fighters without handing them over to their parents.

The IS applied the "stone to death" penalty for the first time on October, 21 this year in the city of Bukamal in Deir al-Zour on a man who was charged of committing adultery.

The extremist group has applied strict rules in areas under its control, banning smoking or drinking alcohol as well as prohibiting women to walk on streets without veils. Enditem