throws gay men to their deaths from the roofs of tall buildings or stones them in front of bloodthirsty crowds

she would be accepted as a woman by ISIS

Russian authorities have expressed fears for the lives of a transsexual man and his gay friend after they were reported to be heading to Syria captivated by Islamic State fundamentalist propaganda.

Dubbed the 'battle trannies' by the Moscow media, the two suspects Alexei T. and Viktor E - who prefers to be known as Viktoria and dresses as a woman - are accused of maintaining contacts with armed extremist groups.

Another police source Alexander Vinogradov said: 'We would always be interested in stopping people from joining a terrorist organisation but in this case there is a double motive, as our information is that this would not be accepted if they managed to get all the way to Syria, and it is unlikely that they would live very long once their sexual orientation was revealed.'

Accused: Dubbed the 'battle trannies' by Russian media, suspects Alexei T. and Viktor E (pictured left and right) - who prefers to be known as Viktoria and dresses as a woman - are accused of wanting to join ISIS

Wannabe jihadi: Former classmates said that Viktor (pictured) came to a school reunion dressed as a woman

He said that ISIS has been staging a non-stop campaign online to recruit new fighters from those who feel out of place but added it was unlikely they had transsexuals or homosexuals in mind when making the appeal.

The pair claimed that they had suffered persecution and abuse from family and locals in the home in Kamchatka region in the extreme east of Russia.

They hoped they would be welcomed if they went to Syria after watching an ISIS recruitment video online.

The case is the most bizarre of a number of recent examples of young Russians being coaxed into travelling to Syria, a trend of acute concern to the Moscow authorities.

Reports said the 22 year olds had already left for Syria, while an unconfirmed police source was reported by local news source in Kamchatka as saying they were now in a mental health institute.

The couple were put on a list of those wanted for terrorist or extremist activity after apparently being converted to radical Islam.

'One of them was put there following a court decision because of his predisposition to suicide, and the other went there because he wanted to,' said the report on kam.24.ru news agency.

Sick: ISIS are well known for their brutal treatment of those they accuse of 'homosexual acts', with numerous sickening propaganda videos released showing the jihadis throwing gay men from the roofs of tall buildings

Viktoria's aunt said her nephew and his friend were not known as being the most intelligent people in the neighbourhood and she confirmed that Viktoria was taking hormone replacement therapy to start the transformation of becoming a woman.

He 'did not have enough money for the surgery and asked relatives but we all refused.

'The next thing we knew was that they were wanted by the police after it was found they had gone to join ISIS.

'Viktor had been walking around in women's clothes and wearing makeup and was living with his mum before converting to radical Islam.

'She told him that he would probably be killed if he went there dressed as a woman, but he said that if he could travel there as a woman, he believed they would accept him as a woman.'

Disturbing: In a photo taken in the city of Mosul, a gay man is dangled over the edge of a building by his ankles

An unnamed teacher said of Viktor: 'He was a boy. He had girlfriends, had a very short haircut, clothes without any decoration.

'He was a typical guy. And then later he came here to school to get a copy of his diploma with a different name on it, Viktoria instead of Viktor.

At this point he was 'wearing a short skirt, earrings and with long hair'.

'He told me: 'Change my diploma from Viiktor to Viktoria. If you don't do so, I will complain. '

He claimed to have a Russian passport in the name of Viktoria.

The teacher added: 'We have optional courses on Orthodox Christianity but not on any other religions.

'Viktor was never interested in religion. I myself was teaching history, social studies and law. He wouldn't say even a word about Islam.'

Russian police are understood to have confirmed that Viktor and Aleksey have been placed on a list for those wanted with regards to terrorist or extremist activity.

Gathered to watch: The horrific public murders of gay men draw some of the largest crowds in ISIS' self-declared caliphate, with men photographed taking their young sons to watch the regular atrocities

ISIS has staged a relentless recruitment campaign online over the past year, often targeting those who feel persecuted or out of place in the West. It is highly unlikely the barbarians had transsexuals or homosexuals in mind while appealing for new members, however.

The terror group has been brutally clear in how it views gay men - releasing sickening videos of them being thrown from the roofs of high buildings in strongholds such as Raqqa and Mosul.

Those who survive the fall are then set upon by bloodthirsty crowds who 'finish them off' by stoning the terribly injured victims to death.

The horrific public murders of gay men draw some of the largest crowds in ISIS' self-declared caliphate, with men photographed taking their young sons to watch the regular atrocities.

This is because under the terror group's brutal interpretation of Islam, citizens are taught that being gay clashes with God's 'natural' order, brings destruction to the family and marriages, and leads people to ignore religious guidance in other areas of life.

Shocking: Recently as group of executioners made a display of hugging a blindfolded gay couple and telling them they were forgiven of their 'sins', before pummeling them to death with hundreds of fist-sized rocks

Former classmates said that he came to a school reunion dressed as a woman.

Bashir Bashirov, head of the Union of Muslims of Kamchatka, said: 'The first time they came to pray was about a year ago...They said they were man and wife.

'The mosque is open to everyone, so how can we prohibit anyone coming? 'We treated the newcomers as Muslims, we couldn't even imagine there were not straight. And how can one tell?

'She' was wearing a hijab, had a female face, was sitting aside from the men,' he added.

Later they became influenced by radicals 'and started blaming us for stepping aside from 'pure Islam... I personally tried to change their minds but in vain.

'The stopped attending prayers and started telling everyone that we 'delude ourselves and practice Islam in a wrong way'.'

A former girlfriend of Viktor told how he beat her during their relationship, and kept her dresses after they split up, and started wearing them.

Brutal: The shocking images were taken in ISIS-held territory in the province of Homs and show the two accused men being savagely executed by up to four jihadis

'Viktor was very strange...He beat me black and blue. 'But I didn't complain to police because he threatened me with his older brother. He said that it would be bad for me,' she said.

She tried to break up with him but he only hit her with greater force.

'I came to school with a huge bruise under my eye. I was asked what happened, and I could not say, because one teacher was close to his mother. They hushed it up.'

She was deeply shocked when he told her he wanted to be a girl and go out with boys.

When they split, his stepmother told him to return her dresses but 'he wore them himself.

'I saw him in one of my dresses.'