<p>The Islamic State group stoned two men to death in Syria today after claiming they were gay, a monitor said, in the jihadist organisation's first executions for alleged homosexuality.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"The IS today stoned to death a man that it said was gay," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that the victim was around 20 years old.<br /><br />He was killed in Mayadeen in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, near the border with Iraq.<br />The Britain-based Observatory said IS claimed it found videos on his mobile phone showing him "practising indecent acts with males".<br /><br />In a separate incident today, an 18-year-old was also stoned to death in Deir Ezzor city after the group said he was gay, the Observatory said.<br /><br />Activists on social media said that the dead men were opponents of IS and that the group had used the allegation as a pretext to kill them.<br /><br />The United Nations said this month the IS had carried out several executions by stoning of women in Syria it accused of adultery.<br /><br />The jihadists proclaimed a "caliphate" in June after seizing swathes of Iraq and Syria.<br />Activists say IS carries out regular public executions -- often beheadings -- in areas it controls.</p>
<p>The Islamic State group stoned two men to death in Syria today after claiming they were gay, a monitor said, in the jihadist organisation's first executions for alleged homosexuality.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"The IS today stoned to death a man that it said was gay," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that the victim was around 20 years old.<br /><br />He was killed in Mayadeen in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, near the border with Iraq.<br />The Britain-based Observatory said IS claimed it found videos on his mobile phone showing him "practising indecent acts with males".<br /><br />In a separate incident today, an 18-year-old was also stoned to death in Deir Ezzor city after the group said he was gay, the Observatory said.<br /><br />Activists on social media said that the dead men were opponents of IS and that the group had used the allegation as a pretext to kill them.<br /><br />The United Nations said this month the IS had carried out several executions by stoning of women in Syria it accused of adultery.<br /><br />The jihadists proclaimed a "caliphate" in June after seizing swathes of Iraq and Syria.<br />Activists say IS carries out regular public executions -- often beheadings -- in areas it controls.</p>