NEW DELHI: The banned group Ansar-al Islam, the Bangladeshi branch of al-Qaida on the Indian subcontinent, has claimed responsibility for the killings of a gay rights activist and his friend in the capital, Dhaka.

The group said in a Twitter message Tuesday that its members targeted Xulhaz Mannan, the editor of Bangladesh's only gay rights magazine, Roopbaan, and his friend Tanay Majumder.

It said the two were killed Monday because they were "pioneers of practicing and promoting homosexuality in Bangladesh" and were "working day and night to promote homosexuality."

Mannan also worked for the US Agency for International Development.

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