U.S. and Canadian commanders in eastern Afghanistan are warning that thousands of al-Qaida and Taleban fighters remain at large despite the large numbers crushed in Operation Anaconda. 

They say these fighters are well-funded, well-prepared and well-equipped. 

The massive offensive in Afghanistan's Paktia province ended earlier Tuesday as the last allied troops returned to their barracks. The commanders say as they find new pockets of resistance, they will go after them. 

Tuesday, Pakistani border guards arrested seven suspected al-Qaida terrorists attempting to cross into Afghanistan. 

Monday, U.S. Air Force Brigadier General John Rosa said American special forces killed 16 suspected al-Qaida fighters traveling in a convoy believed to be fleeing toward Pakistan. 

General Rosa says a firefight broke out when U.S. troops tried to stop the convoy. The troops confiscated a number of weapons and rocket-propelled grenades. 

General Rosa also said U.S. troops arrested 31 people in a raid on a suspicious compound near Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan. A large amount of weapons was also seized. 

Meanwhile, British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon has authorized the deployment of 1,700 elite British commandos to Afghanistan. He says the United States formally requested the help. 

The British soldiers are expected to arrive in the region within days. 

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

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