Amidst a raging war between Iran, the US and Israel, social media is replete with propaganda and disinformation. A narrative war is ongoing even against countries like India, which are not even directly involved in the conflict. There has been a barrage of disinformation about the Uttam Nagar Machli Mandiย fireย that erupted on 11th March, with several Pakistani and West Asian social media accounts claiming that an Israeli-Indian drone manufacturing facility, which was โsupplyingโ drones to Israel against Iran, was burnt by Naxalites.
It is also being claimed that several Israeli and Indian workers have been killed in the fire.
In this vein, Pakistani Islamist X user โZard si Ghanaโ, shared the visuals of the fire in Uttam Nagar Fish Market, writing, โA massive fire broke out in a joint India-Israel defense facility in Delhi, resulting in the deaths of several workers from both countries. Indian media is blaming pro-Iran supporters in India.
An X user appearing to be from Kuwait translated the Pakistani anti-India propagandistโs claim into Arabic and wrote, โA massive fire broke out in a joint India-Israel defense facility in Delhi, resulting in the deaths of several workers from both countries. Indian media is blaming pro-Iran supporters in India.โ
Another Pakistani account claimed, โNaxalites have reportedly attacked an #Indiaโ#Israel drone facility in Delhi, triggering a massive explosion & fire that has engulfed the entire complex. Sources suggest at least 50 workers, including Indian & Israeli personnel have been killed as flames & thick smoke continue to rise from the site.โ
One X account named โIran Pressโ also amplified the โNaxalites burnt Israeli drone manufacturing unitโ bogey, and wrote, โMultiple reports say the facility destroyed by Naxalites in Delhi was producing Heron & Harop drones for India, Israel & Afghanistan.โ
DELHI BLAST 4.0
Multiple reports say the facility destroyed by Naxalites in Delhi was producing Heron & Harop drones for India, Israel & Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/02VwBbMhNc— Iran Press (@GP_Presss) March 12, 2026
Was an India-Israel joint drone manufacturing facility burnt by Naxalites in Delhiโs Uttam Nagar?
On the midnight of 11th and 12th March, a fire erupted at a fish market or Machhli Mandi in Matiala, near Uttam Nagar in Delhi. The fire engulfed several shops and slum dwellings in a densely populated area. Reports say that more than 30 fire tenders have been deployed to douse the fire. Prima facie, the cause of the fire is said to be a short circuit.
Contrary to the claims being peddled by Pakistani Islamists and anti-India elements in the Middle East, there have been no casualties in the Uttam Nagar fire incident.
Pertinently, there is no India-Israel joint drone manufacturing facility in Uttam Nagar or anywhere in New Delhi. There is only one operational India-Israel joint UAV drone manufacturing facility in India, the Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems Ltd. This facility is situated in Telanganaโs Hyderabad.
OpIndia reported recently about Indian Islamists targeting the India-Israel joint Adani-Elbit Advanced Systems India drones manufacturing factory in Hyderabad, which builds Hermes 900 UAV drones, sharing its location and falsely claiming that the facility is supplying drones to Israel in its war against Iran.
Coordinated efforts are going on to villainise India to establish a narrative that India has betrayed Iran and sided with Israel and America. It was seen how, despite India offering sanctuary to Iranian warships amidst Israeli and American attacks, Pakistani propaganda accounts using fake names like โIran War Monitorโ and its derivatives claimed that India refused help to Iran.
Earlier this week, it was reported that a Pakistani individual hacked and operated 31 X accounts to peddle AI-generated pro-Iran propaganda. Nikita Bier, the Product Head of X, said on 4th March, โLast night, we found a guy in Pakistan who was managing 31 accounts posting AI war videos. All were hacked, and the usernames were changed on Feb 27 to โIran War Monitorโ or some derivative. We are getting much faster at detecting thisโand also eliminating the incentive to do this.โ
Bottomline: Pakistani and other anti-India elements active on X are concocting falsehoods or using real incidents like the Uttam Nagar fish market fire to peddle lies about Indiaโs defence partnerships with Israel to depict India as an enabler of Israelโs war on Iran. There is no India-Israel drones manufacturing facility in Delhiโs Uttam Nagar, which was set ablaze by Naxalites. So far, no casualties have been reported.
