The commander of police force and mayor escaped an assassination attempts Sunday night in central Somali town of Galkayo, the capital of Mudug region in Puntland State.

Commander Muse Ahmed Abdirahman told Garowe Online that security forces unearthed a remote-controlled device that was planted beside the road, which the officials frequently use.

He accused Al-Shabaab insurgent group of masterminding the assassination attempt.

“They planned to assassinate us but we foiled it. Their mission is to jeopardize the security of Puntland but we can’t allow that, we will eliminate them from everyplace,” he said.

Commander also told GO that armed pirates carried out an overnight attack on a police station in the town, in a bid to free one of their associate who was arrested by the police.

“The pirates attack the station but we repelled them and even arrested them. The security forces have not sustained any casualties only that the pirates fired bullets on the walls,” he stated.

The town, which is divided between north and south, has been experiencing instability in the recent weeks over what the authority termed as an infiltration of militant elements.