DUNDONALD, Northern Ireland, Nov. 8 (UPI) -- A former police officer discovered a makeshift bomb attached to his car Friday near Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.

The unidentified man was about to take his daughter, 12, to school in the Belfast suburb of Dundonald when he performed a routine service check of his vehicle and notice the undetonated bomb attached to the underside of the car, The Belfast Telegraph reported Friday.


Dissident Republicans were blamed for the attempted attack. The explosive bore "striking similarities" to other car bombs planted by the extremist group in the past, police said.

"The former officer is a family man and his 12-year-old daughter was with him, and was certainly within close proximity, said Police Service Chief Superintendent Nigel Grimshaw.

Dissidents have killed two police officers, two soldiers and a prison officer in the past five years in Northern Ireland, the newspaper noted.