Over 30 people have been killed in clashes in northern Mali a few days ahead of the start of peace talks, security sources say.

A Malian military source said on Sunday that the clashes in an area between the towns of Gao and Kidal, which began on Friday, had claimed the lives of 37 people.

The army has claimed that the recent violence was infighting between different fighter groups.

The Tuareg fighters, however, issued a statement, blaming the government for starting the assault.

According to the statement, 35 people from the government forces and other "militias" were killed in the attack.

The Malian government and the Tuareg fighters are scheduled to hold peace talks in Algeria on Wednesday.

Chaos broke out in Mali after President Amadou Toumani Toure was toppled in a military coup in March 2012. The coup leaders said they mounted the coup in response to the government's inability to contain the Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country.

However, in the wake of the coup d’état, the Tuareg fighters took control of the entire northern desert region.

On May 23, the Tuareg fighters, who still control the northern town of Kidal, and the Malian government signed a ceasefire agreement brokered by the African Union.

Under the ceasefire deal, both sides are committed to returning to the last year’s agreement that allows the Malian army and its civil administration to gradually return to Kidal.

In January 2013, France invaded its former colony under the pretext of halting the advance of the Tuareg fighters.

Some political analysts believe that Mali’s natural resources, including gold and uranium reserves, could be one of the reasons behind the French war.