NEW DELHI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- India Sunday expressed its serious concern over the spurt of terrorism in neighboring Pakistan and war-ravaged Afghanistan, saying peace is threatened in South Asia.

    "We are very worried about the rise of terrorism in our neighborhood, particularly what is going on in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. We have a vital stake in peace, progress and stability of these countries and other countries of South Asia," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here.

    Claiming that though India has been a victim of terrorism for long, the world woke up only after terrorists brought down the twin trade towers in New York on Sept. 11, 2001, the prime minister said: "I sincerely hope that among the processes, which require sustained international cooperation, dealing with terrorism figures very high on the priorities of all civilized countries of the world."

    Terrorism in India got global attention when 10 militants carried out deadly attacks in Mumbai last November, which killed over 170 people.

    Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist caught alive in the mayhem, admitted that Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba masterminded the attacks.