Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani expressed his support for King Abdullah.

“Our hearts are always with them, may Allah Almighty protect them,” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani said in a tweet, in reference to Jordan and its people.

A top former Jordanian royal aide was among several suspects arrested Saturday in a security sweep, as the army cautioned a half-brother of King Abdullah II against damaging the country's security.

Videos posted online showed a heavy police deployment in the Dabouq area near the royal palaces, while the former crown prince Hamzah bin Hussein said he was confined to his home.

In a video the BBC said it obtained from his lawyer, Prince Hamzah said a number of his friends had been arrested, his security removed and his internet and phone lines cut.

He denied being part of "any conspiracy or nefarious organization," but said the Hashemite kingdom had "become stymied in corruption, in nepotism, and in misrule" where no one was allowed to criticize the authorities.

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