A group affiliated to al-Qaeda claimed responsibility on Tuesday for killing a Bangladeshi gay rights activist and his friend, the latest in a string of murders of liberal activists and other minorities in the South Asian nation.
A Twitter handle that identified itself as an outlet of Ansar Al Islam said its fighters had killed Xulhaz Mannan and Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy, calling them “the pioneers of practicing (sic) and promoting homosexuality in Bangladesh".
Ansar Al Islam, which is part of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent, has issued similar claims for attacks in the past, according to a Bangladeshi security expert.
