Sydney man admits terror-related charge

A Sydney man accused of travelling to a Middle Eastern war zone has pleaded guilty to engaging in hostile activity in a foreign country.

Belal Betka, 27, entered the guilty plea in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday via video link from jail.

He has not yet entered a plea on a second charge of entering/remaining in a declared area.

He is listed for arraignment again in the same court on August 2.

Betka was arrested at his Sydney home in December 2017 after police alleged he travelled to Syria's al-Raqqa province between March and July 2015.

At the time, the federal government had declared the area a region where a listed terror organisation was engaging in hostile activity.

He was the first Australian-based person to be charged with the incursion offence, according to police.