VALLETTA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Armed Forces of Malta were called in Thursday evening to defuse a car bomb which seems to have been activated but failed to explode.

The car was parked in a residential area in the village of Fgura in south of the island and is believed to belong to a man known to the police.

Residents in the area are reported to have heard a loud spark coming from the car, raising suspicions that it could have had a bomb placed underneath it.

In addition to army personnel, forensic experts were also on site, searching for any evidence that could shed more light on the case.

Police sources said that the bomb was different to that which killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October, but they nonetheless hope it could provide crucial information on the manner in which car bombs are made.

In a brief statement sent out on Thursday evening, the government thanked law enforcement officials investigating the case.

"The government is committed to bring those responsible for this cowardly act, which could have had grave consequences, even on third parties, irrespective of whether they were the targets, to justice," read the statement.

It added that all the resources necessary for the case to be solved would be made available to investigators.