GAUHATI (India) - INDIA'S prime minister demanded on Saturday that Pakistan hand over suspects in the Mumbai attacks - raising again an issue that has heightened tensions between the longtime rivals.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reiterated that India does not want war with Pakistan 'but it must hand over the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks.'

Last month, Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked Islamabad to hand over 40 suspected militants who are free and living in Pakistan. The list includes some that India believes were involved in the three-day siege that killed 164 people in Mumbai, India's financial capital. It also lists some who have committed 'other crimes' against India in the past.

India blames Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, a banned militant outfit, for the Nov 26 attacks.

Islamabad has so far rejected India's demand and says New Delhi must provide evidence against any suspects who will be tried in Pakistan.

Mr Singh's comments came days after Pakistan arrested at least two men accused by India of planning the attacks and launched a nationwide crackdown on a charity believed to be front group for Lashkar-e-Taiba.

'We hope that these criminals will be handed over to us to face trial in our country,' the Indian prime minister said. 'We are committed to rooting out terrorism and we sincerely hope that better sense will prevail with Pakistan because they would recognise that this is an area where there is a need for maximum possible cooperation between our two countries.'

On Friday, a Lashkar spokesman, identifying himself as Abdullah Ghaznavi, sent a statement to journalists in Indian-administered Kashmir denying reports that Zarar Shah, one of the Lashkar militants arrested in Pakistan, confessed involvement in the attacks.

India's Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram plans to visit the United States next week to share evidence with American investigators, the New Delhi Television news channel reported.

Home Ministry officials did not return calls for comment.

India's Mr Singh on Saturday visited the country's restive northeast region where three bombs exploded Thursday in Gauhati, the capital of Assam state, killing at least five people and wounding 50.

The attack in Gauhati was the first in India since the November siege in Mumbai.

Authorities suspected the United Liberation Front of Asom - one of the several insurgent groups fighting government forces in the region - was behind the attacks in Gauhati. -- AP