Aurora teen pleads not guilty to terrorism charge

An Aurora teenager has pleaded not guilty to charges he sought to join an al-Qaida-linked militant group fighting Bashar Assad's regime in Syria.

Abdella Ahmad Tounisi's attorney entered the plea Wednesday at a federal court in Chicago. The 18-year-old Tounisi stood by her side in orange jail garb, his legs shackled.

Authorities arrested Tounisi in April at O'Hare International Airport as he prepared for the first leg of a trip to join Jabhat al-Nusrah, authorities said.

Tounisi pleaded not guilty to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and lying to federal authorities.

If convicted, he faces a maximum 23-year prison term.