US soldier pleads not guilty to terror charges

A US soldier has pleaded not guilty in a federal court to charges of attempting to support the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.

US Army Sergeant First Class Ikaika Erik Kang pleaded not guilty on Monday. He was arrested on July 8 for allegedly trying to provide material support and training to the IS, reports Xinhua news agency.

Working as an air traffic control operator with the army, he was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division, based at Schofield Barracks, a US Army installation located in the county of Honolulu.

A federal grand jury on Saturday indicted Kang on four counts of attempting to provide material support to the IS.

If found guilty, Kang could spend up to 20 years behind bars for each count.

He was also quoted by an FBI document as saying that he wanted to take his rifle and kill "a bunch of people".

Kang's attorney said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after being deployed multiple times to war zones.

Kang was dispatched to Iraq in 2010 and served in Afghanistan in 2014.

--IANS

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