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Mohamed Said Atom's announcement that his Golis Mountain Militia fighters have joined al-Shabaab is "just a performance", according to Puntland's Major General Jama Said Warsame.

Yasin Khalid Osman, known as Yasin Kilwe, a spokesperson for the militia, formally pledged allegiance to al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda in an audio message broadcast by al-Shabaab's official radio outlet on February 25th.

Puntland security forces have been battling Atom and his militia, also called the Galgala militia, since 2010, and were able to successfully push the fighters from the town of Galgala, a previous stronghold, and into the Golis Mountains.

Puntland Security Minister Khalif Isse Mudan said security forces arrested several members of the militia in February, including the group's landmine expert, Ahmed Kheir Said.

Mudan called Ahmed Kheir Said, Atom's brother, the group's "foremost expert in landmines", saying he had been apprehended while attending a meeting in the Almadow Mountains.

Security officials in Puntland say the merger of this local militant group with al-Shabaab, which also recently joined the al-Qaeda organisation, is no surprise.

"Atom's group and al-Shabaab did not unite today, they were united from the start," said Warsame, who is in charge of Puntland forces in the Bari region. "This is just a performance they are enacting," he told Sabahi.

"Puntland announced long ago that it is fighting terrorists in the Galgala Mountains with ties to al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda," Warsame said.

The Galgala militia is not a major security threat because it is struggling, but security forces are prepared in the event they should receive reinforcements, Warsame told Sabahi.

"It is not a united force and does not have power because it is a group that hides in the mountains," he said. He said security forces have been successful at countering the militants who engage in "hit and run" tactics.

"The army overcomes the cowardly attacks from these terrorists every time," Warsame said.

Ahmed Omar Hirsi, spokesperson for the Puntland government, also told Sabahi that the merger was not a revelation for the government. "Now the whole world knows it," he said.

Puntland has doubled its military capabilities to prepare for a possible al-Shabaab intervention to bolster the Galgala militia, Hirsi said. "Puntland has troops that have enough force to overcome terrorist groups," he said.

Mohamed Dahir, a former security official for Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, told Sabahi that Atom's recent announcement is an appeal for assistance.

"They have been weakening gradually and this has forced them to join al-Shabaab," he said. "They hope to get support from al-Shabaab."

Galgala elders declined to speak to Sabahi about the militia and its merger with al-Shabaab citing security concerns.

A number of Puntland officials have been killed in a series of assassinations since 2010, including Galgala District Commissioner Ali Mohamed Gurhan who was gunned down in Bossaso in February 2011.

Since the announcement of the merger between al-Shabaab and the Galgala militia, Puntland has stepped up security measures, Warsame said. Security forces have been managing checkpoints and monitoring traffic in and out of the area, he said.

On February 28th, Puntland security forces successfully intercepted several men with ties to Atom in a truck filled with equipment at a checkpoint in Sugure village, Warsame said. He said the truck was transporting supplies to the group.

Warsame reiterated Puntland's commitment to eradicating militants from the region and ensuring stability is maintained. "We will continue fighting al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda," he said.