Major Khalif Abdulle Arfaye was fatally wounded in the blast, which left two other people wounded.

Police station chief Mohamed Siyad Ali told VOA's Somali service that the commander had succumbed to his injuries after arriving at the town's hospital.

"Just before 7 p.m. a grenade was hurled at the station. The commander sustained serious injuries. I took him to the hospital, where he died," Ali told VOA Somali.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Ali said he suspected al-Shabab militants had carried out the attack.

"He was targeted and attacked because of the responsibility he had, it's clear," Ali said.

Ali said the assailant or assailants had fled the scene, and that a manhunt was underway.

Johwar is 90 kilometers north of Mogadishu and is a town surrounded by farmland.

Source-Voice of America