Kabul

The AAF has conducted strikes on the outskirts of Afghanistan's Helmand province, the country's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"54 Taliban terrorists including Ahmadi a Pakistani citizen affiliated to Al-Qaeda terrorist network along with 2 Taliban commanders were killed and 16 others wounded in airstrikes conducted by AAF on Taliban gathering at the outskirts of Helmand provincial center, last night," it said in a tweet.

These airstrikes come as Afghanistan is witnessing a surge in violence as the Taliban has intensified its offensive against Afghan forces and civilians with the complete pullback of foreign forces just a few weeks away.

Over the last few weeks, the Taliban have captured several districts in Afghanistan including Takhar, the country's northeastern province.

Nationwide, the Taliban controls 223 districts, with 116 contested and the government holding 68, according to the Long War Journal, whose calculations tally with CNN's estimates. It says 17 of 34 provincial capitals are directly threatened by the Taliban.