Jordan has denied reports that King Abdullah had members of his family put under house arrest, following rumours of a planned coup against the monarch.

The Royal Hashemite Court issued a statement saying that reports of the arrests by al-Sura website and on social media were false and said there is no unrest in the kingdom.

It follows the announcement this week that King Abdullah’s two brothers Prince Ali bin Hussein and Prince Faisal bin Hussein, along with their cousin Prince Talal bin Mohammed, would be retired.

King Abdullah thanked the men for their service in the military, saying they were being replaced to make way for a restructuring of the Jordanian Armed Forces.

Reports in regional media that the dismissals were due to the princes being in contact with UAE and Saudi leadership were stiffly denied by the royal court.

“These lies will not affect our loyal nation, and will not touch our national unity, and the bond between the people and the royal family remains strong,” the Royal Hashemite Court said.

“King Abdullah thanks the princes for their service after they retired from the armed forces.”

King Abdullah’s son Hussein recently graduated from British military school Sandhurst and is tipped to play a leading role in the restructured military.