France's Defence Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said he appeared to have fought alongside Islamist militants.
And French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said he had no proof of either man's death.
BBC: Islamist commander Abou Zeid's death in Mali 'probable'
"I have no proof of the deaths of those two men, " Le Drian said.
Earlier, Mr Le Drian said the jihadists had now scattered, marking a "turning-point" in France's intervention.
Le Drian expressed his sympathy to the families of the French servicemen lost in the attempt.
France's military aim in Mali is its "total reconquest", French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said.
And on Sunday French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described the hostage-taking as an "act of war".
BBC: Algeria crisis: Hostage-takers 'taken alive' at gas plant
Le Drian expressed his sympathy to the families of the French servicemen lost in the attempted rescue.
France has been in contact with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the situation, Le Drian said.
Mr Le Drian also insisted that the 4, 000 French troops currently deployed would be the maximum number in Mali.
Western leaders condemned the attack with French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian describing it as an "act of war".
Mr Le Drian said that some militants in Mali had been on a "military adventure and have returned home".
Mr Le Drian said a French helicopter pilot was killed in the fighting.
BBC: French soldier killed and hostage feared dead in Somalia
The French Defense Minister, Jean Yves Le Drian, says that "hundreds" of militants have been killed over the last month.
The government also regained control of the main bridge leading into the city, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said.
The rescue attempt in Somalia might well have been undertaken sooner had if weather conditions had allowed, Le Drian said.
France, the former colonial power in Mali, has committed about 1, 700 troops and air crews to the fight, Le Drian said.
France has been in contact with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Le Drian said, as well as African and European partners.
He was killed in some of the heaviest fighting that France has carried out in Mali, defence minister Jean-Yves le Drian said.
"The developments are in line with our expectations, " said Mr Le Drian.
There are no more French hostages at the plant as far as French authorities can tell, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Saturday.
Mr Le Drian said Malian forces had also taken prisoners including high-ranking militants who would "have to answer to Malian courts and international justice".
Mr Le Drian said the town was now under the control of French forces with "the support of African and in particular Chadian forces".
In a statement earlier, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian confirmed that 3, 700 French troops were engaged in Operation Serval, 2, 500 of them on Malian soil.
Mr Le Drian said the former Islamist stronghold of Diabaly had not yet been retaken, even though the militants withdrew from the town two days ago.
"After an intensive search, which I want to salute, the intelligence service detected the location where he was held, " Le Drian, France's defense minister, said Saturday.
France has sent several hundred troops to join the fight and plans more raids on Monday, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told Radio Europe 1.
France has been in contact with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta about the situation, as well as its African and European allies, according to Le Drian.
No final decision was then made until September, when Mr Le Drian announced that Gen Bigeard would finally be buried in the Indochina memorial in Frejus.
"The French troops are being vivacious at Kidal airport, which was taken a little more than a day ago, " said Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defense minister.
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