health
Jordan’s king undergoes surgery on an intervertebral disc in Frankfurt
King Abdullah II – the intervertebral disc causes severe pain. Photo: Hannah Mckay/PA Wire/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
Numerous parachute jumps have left their mark on King Abdullah II. The pain has been getting worse lately.
Because of an acute herniated disc, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has to undergo an operation in Frankfurt.
He will therefore fly to Germany on Sunday on the advice of his doctors, reported the Jordanian state news agency Petra. After the operation, he needs about a week to recover before returning to Jordan.
Abdullah’s health problems are a result of parachute jumps while serving in an elite unit of the Jordanian army. The monarch had therefore previously suffered from pain, which had increased and urgently required an operation, it was said.
The 60-year-old Abdullah has ruled in the desert state of Jordan, which is considered stable, since 1999. He was a professional officer for a long time and was trained as a pilot and parachutist. The Kingdom is an ally of the US and other Western countries.