QUETTA, Sept 27: Law-enforcement personnel on Thursday arrested over 345 people during a day-long search operation in Killi Ismail in connection with the killing of SP Investigation Cell Syed Sharyab Ali Shah and his two guards on Wednesday night.

Balochistan Inspector General Police Tariq Masood Khosa has set up five teams comprising senior police officers and personnel of other law-enforcement agencies for investigating the murder.

Soon after the incident, the area was cordoned off and a heavy contingent of law-enforcement personnel was deployed around Killi Ismail and adjoining areas of Shahbaz town and Jinnah town. The personnel carried out house-to-house search.

Deputy Inspector General Police Rehmatullah Niazi said that police had also seized some arms during the operation. He said the investigation team had started interrogating the arrested people.

Residents of Killi Ismail said that they faced serious hardships because police did not allow any person to enter or leave the area throughout the day.

They claimed that more than 500 people had been arrested.Official sources said that the authorities had taken serious notice of the incident and decided to take all possible steps to arrest the assailants.

They said over 1,000 security personnel took part in the operation which concluded in the late afternoon. Security was also tightened in the provincial capital. Meanwhile, the Namaz-i-Janaza of Syed Sharyab Ali Shah was offered at the Police Lines. A large number of police personnel and government officials attended the funeral. He was buried in Kasi graveyard.