By Jonathan Saul and Renee Maltezou

ATHENS (Reuters) -Pirates boarded a Malta-flagged products tanker off Somalia on Thursday, but the crew took refuge in a fortified safe room and remain in control of the vessel, maritime security sources said.

A burst of armed attacks on vessels in the region - including the first involving suspected Somali pirates in a year - has reignited concerns for shipping lanes used to transport critical energy and goods to global markets.

The Hellas Aphrodite, which was carrying gasoline, was en route from India to South Africa when a "security incident" took place on Thursday morning, its Greek manager Latsco Marine Management said.All the crew were safe, it added.

Pirates on a skiff opened fire on the tanker, maritime security firm Ambrey said. The pirates had also fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the vessel, maritime security sources said.

The European Union's........

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