ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Ethiopia said on Thursday that rebellious forces from the Tigray region had been defeated in the adjacent Afar region and had withdrawn, but the Tigrayan forces said they had merely shifted troops to neighbouring Amhara for an offensive there.

       Foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Dina Mutfi cited "military information" when referring to what he called the defeat, at a news conference in Addis Ababa. Tigrayan spokesperson Getachew Reda spoke to Reuters by satellite phone from an undisclosed location. It was not immediately possible to verify either claim.

       Spokespeople for the Ethiopian military and the Prime Minister's office were not immediately reachable for comment.

       (Reporting by Addis Ababa newsroom; Additional reporting and writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Kevin Liffey)