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Video: Marine saved by helmet after Taliban sniper attack

The marine was shot during a mission in the dangerous Helmand Province last year

Jack Simpson
Thursday 16 October 2014 13:49 BST
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The marine was shot during a reconnaissance in the Helmand Province
The marine was shot during a reconnaissance in the Helmand Province (Youtube)

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Dramatic footage has emerged of a US marine being shot in the head by a Taliban sniper, only to be saved by his Kevlar helmet.

The video was captured on the helmet camera of a marine in 2013, when he and two other marines were taking part in a reconnaissance mission in the NawZad district of the renowned Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

The video begins with the team searching a compound; however, when they hear gunfire they decide to investigate where it is coming from.

After walking through a tunnel the team fall quiet, before the silence is broken by the sound of a sniper’s bullet ricocheting off one of the marine’s Kevlar helmets.

The team quickly fall back to safety using the radio to explain what has just happened.

When in a safe area, the bewildered marine asks, “What just happened?”

Warning: Video contains strong language

“Dude, you got shut” the marine with the camera tells him, “I saw it hit your Kevlar.”

The marine then complains that his ears are ringing, before inspecting the damage that the bullet caused to his helmet.

Following, the lucky escape the team then attempts to locate the sniper before the filming stops.

The video was uploaded by a Youtube user named Sam Arnold last month, and has recently gained popularity with over 300,000 users viewing the extraordinary footage.

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