by Our Foreign Desk

THE TALIBAN’S new leader hailed its brief capture of the city of Kunduz as a “symbolic victory” yesterday.

His comments in a press interview came as the Taliban claimed responsibility for the crash of a US air force transport plane, which killed all six crew and five civilian contractors on board.

The US air force insisted that the crash at Jalalabad air base just after midnight yesterday had been an accident, adding that an unknown number of people had been killed.

But Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: “Our mojahedin have shot down a four-engine US aircraft in Jalalabad.”

“Based on credible information, 15 invading forces and a number of puppet troops were killed.”

Mullah Akhtar Mansoor said the three-day occupation of Kunduz was “a historic event,” which was “celebrated by the ordinary people of the city.”

Mullah Mansoor was announced as Taliban leader in August, following revelations that his predecessor ­Mullah Muhammad Omar had died as much as two years before.

Monday’s surprise Taliban capture of the wealthy northern city gave a boost to Mullah Mansoor’s leadership and undermined Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

But on Thursday the Afghan national security forces, backed by US air power, recaptured Kunduz.

“The victory is a symbolic victory for us and, moreover, it is also a historical event which will be remembered,” Mullah Mansoor said.

“People who said we were a small force with an unchosen leader can now see how wrong they were about the potential and strength my people have.”