Jordan's King Abdullah has successful back surgery in Germany

The king flew to Frankfurt at the weekend for treatment of slipped disc

Jordan's King Abdullah II last visited Germany in March, in an official capacity. His back surgery in Frankfurt was deemed a success by his doctors. AP

Jordan’s King Abdullah II has had surgery on his back in Germany, the Royal Court said on Tuesday.

During his absence, Crown Prince Hussein, 27, took over his father's duties.

“The Royal Hashemite Court announces that His Majesty King Abdullah II had successful surgery to treat a herniated disc in the thoracic spine area,” it said.

The king, who is 60, needed urgent surgery to relieve pain from a slipped disc, the palace said on Saturday.

His doctors advised him to have the operation in Frankfurt. He is expected to remain in Germany for a week.

The statement from the Arab kingdom’s Royal Hashemite Court said the king suffers from intermittent spine pain “as a result of parachute jumping during his years of service in special operations,” and doctors advised him to receive the surgery as the pain increased recently.

King Abdullah ascended the throne in 1999 after the death of his father, King Hussein.

During his youth, the king raced cars and served as a paratrooper in the Jordanian Army.

King Abdullah II on Monday joined Jordan's armed forces in an exercise simulating the elimination of terrorist elements and smugglers. All photos: Jordan News Agency

Upon arrival at the location of the drill, the king was received by Maj Gen Yousef Hneiti, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and commander of the King Abdullah II Special Forces Group.

The exercise included reconnaissance missions by snipers and how to deal with surprise targets, with the goal of providing support for the country's Border Guards unit.

It also featured the use of various firearms with aerial cover provided by helicopters to intercept targets beyond the operation’s area.

The king commended the high level of co-ordination and professionalism shown by the military and air force, and expressed pride in their advanced level of preparations.

“His Highness Prince Hussein, the crown prince, took the constitutional oath as regent to king, in the presence of the Cabinet,” official broadcast media said on Saturday.

Prince Hussein has been given more responsibilities in the last few weeks and has been promoted in the military.

The hashtag 'get well soon our King,' trended in Jordan on Sunday, Roya News reported.

During the last few weeks, King Abdullah began a series of diplomatic initiatives to try to contain violence in Palestine.

At the end of March he travelled to Ramallah, accompanied by Prince Hussein, to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

He also met several senior Israeli officials in Amman.

He was last in Germany on March 15 on an official visit when he met Chancellor Olaf Scholz. After that meeting, Mr Scholz said all diplomatic channels should be kept open in the Ukraine crisis to press for an immediate ceasefire.

"It is a question of using all the formats of dialogue and maintaining them ... and of pressing for a ceasefire to come soon, so that it comes immediately."