An over five-hour long search operation by commandos of the Telangana police’ anti-terror squad for seven armed suspects at a residential complex in Hyderabad ended early on Wednesday, police said.

Over 300 policemen including commandos of Organisation for Counter-terror Operations (Octopus) participated in the night-long operation at My Homes Housing Palace at Rajendernagar.

Armed personnel searched over 700 flats in all nine blocks of the apartment.

The apartment was cordoned off by the police on Tuesday night after a watchman noticed unidentified men breaking the number plate of a Cherolet Tavera car. They escaped after he raised an alarm.

The same vehicle was used by a gang which tried to rob Muthoot Finance branch in the same area on Tuesday morning, the police said.

Suspecting that the armed men could be hiding in the apartment, Cyberabad police surrounded it and called in the Octopus for the operation.

It was not clear whether the police were able to nab any suspect from the apartment. Cyberabad police were expected to share the details later in the day.

Involvement of a gang from Gujarat was being suspected as the vehicle was originally registered in that state. The gang had used a fake registration plate of Telangana.

The gang had struck at Muthoot Finance branch at Mailardevpally on Tuesday morning soon after the branch opened for transactions.

While two men engaged in conversation with the staff, two others posing as customers entered the cabin of the Manager and whipped out pistols and demanded gold and money, the police said.

As the Manager screamed and a woman employee pressed emergency alarm, owner of the buildings and other people rushed in to help. The gang members, who were also carrying daggers, threatened them and escaped.