American Soldiers Ambushed in Dramatic Video

In the war in Afghanistan, the U.S. military has focused much of its attention in pushing the Taliban out of Kandahar in the south. But as CBS News Anchor Katie Couric reports, some of the toughest battles are being fought in the northeast in Kunar province, where the region's mountains and proximity to Pakistan make it a haven for insurgents.

CBS News partner GlobalPost has now published dramatic footage of American soldiers being ambushed in Kunar.

In the video shot in late August, infantry soldiers from the 101st Airborne leave their combat outpost to scout out possible polling sites for the parliamentary elections. Their convoy is hit by a coordinated attack on the ground and from the cliffs above.

Watch the Entire Video at GlobalPost

CBSNews.com Special Report: Afghanistan

Nineteen-year-old Pvt. Justin Greer cranks his turret toward the incoming fire and is shot in his helmet.

Snatches of conversation were captured on video: "Aah, [shot] in the head!"

"Where at, brother?"

"Stay low, man."

"Your helmet saved you, man!"

Greer suffered a mild concussion but is otherwise OK. At the head of the convoy the lead vehicle has been hit and is now in flames. Several soldiers attend to the driver who's lost his arm. The rest provide cover.

As they drive off the soldiers are still reeling from the attack. Specialist Jesse Townsend is later hailed as a hero for applying a tourniquet to the driver's arm and saving his life.

"We all wanted to get out, but we were taking small arms fire, so we couldn't go anywhere," said Townsend. "I'm just glad I did it right."

The soldier who lost his arm is recovering. Pvt. Greer and Specialist Townsend are both doing well.