King Abdullah accepted the resignation of Jordan's interior minister and the government dismissed the chief of police over the mishandling of a crackdown in the south of the country and abuses in prisons, officials said on Sunday.

Two officials contacted by Reuters said the monarch accepted the resignation of Interior Minister Hussein al-Majali and a decision was taken to send the heads of the country's police and gendarme to retirement.

One official said a heavy-handed police crackdown in the southern tribal city of Maan and torture of a detainee during interrogation that led to his death, were behind the dismissals.