Officials say the man, Abdirashid Hassan, was a senior militant man serving the Al-Shabaab fighters battling their forces in Galgala Mountains of Bari region.

The man allegedly confessed being a member of the outlawed group who was tasked with facilitating the group’s operations in the region.

Puntland’s Assistant Minister for Security Abdi Jamal Osman said Hassan gave himself up to the area authorities few days but was undergoing investigations.

Osman promised that his administration will accord the alleged defector the necessary security he needed, adding that he can live freely in Puntland since he has renounced violence and extremism.

Bari police boss Osman Hassan Awke called on youths lured into the activities of Al-Shabaab to renounce violence and reintegrate back into the society to resume their normal lives.

Puntland has been in the recent months battling with Al-Shabaab militants in Galgala mountains in effort to wipeout the militant group from the area.