NAIROBI, Kenya — An insurgent commander based in the semiautonomous region of Puntland in northern Somalia has pledged his allegiance to the Shabab militant group, a move that threatens to destabilize a part of Somalia that had been relatively peaceful.

The commander, Sheik Mohamed Said Atom, an insurgent warlord, said he would fight the Puntland government until it agreed to impose strict Islamic law. His forces have recently clashed with Puntland soldiers, but it was not until this week that he announced his alignment with the Shabab, the group that claimed responsibility for the bombings in Uganda this month.

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