YEREVAN (Reuters) - Gunmen who invaded Armenia's parliament and killed the prime minister and other top officials freed hostages held overnight in the building and surrendered to police Thursday.

``All the hostages are free,'' presidential spokeswoman Hasmik Petrosyan told reporters, announcing the end of a drama which cost the lives of two of Armenia's three top public figures. ``The gunmen were arrested and taken to the Security Ministry.''

A bus flanked by armored vehicles took away the gunmen and some of the former hostages, while other captives calmly left the building on foot.

All were left guessing what was behind the attack and what might be some of the consequences for the small former Soviet republic bordering Turkey.

``There were no political motives behind the attack, they were just schizophrenics who came to parliament and did their barbaric deed,'' parliamentarian Galust Saakyan, his jacket stained with blood, told reporters.

The deal to release the hostages and surrender was clinched after overnight talks with President Robert Kocharyan.

The gunmen, armed with Kalashnikov rifles, burst into parliament Wednesday, killing Prime Minister Vazgen Sarksyan, parliamentary Speaker Karen Demirchyan and his two deputies, Yuri Bakhshyan and Ruben Miroyan. Operative Issues Minister Leonard Petrosyan, two members of parliament and the former editor of a newspaper were also killed.

The gunmen, led by Nairi Unanyan, a former member of the nationalist Dashnak party, initially said they were carrying out a coup against Armenia's leadership, which they accused of misleading the country. They demanded air time on national television to explain their actions.

But Dashnak was quick to deny any link with the attackers and said Unanyan had ceased to be associated with it in 1991.

``It's very important not to allow emotions to rule us and to rally behind the president,'' Dashnak leader Vahan Hovanessyan told reporters.

The release of the hostages was preceded by twin statements by Kocharyan and the gunmen, read by announcers on national television.

``I guarantee a fair trial to the gunmen if they lay down arms and free their hostages. Law enforcement bodies handling the crisis will not allow reprisals. I guarantee that there will be no violent treatment,'' Kocharyan's statement said.

The gunmen's statement said: ``All we need are guarantees that there will be no violence.''

International Condemnation

The assault during a parliament session drew international condemnation. The U.N. General Assembly observed a minute of silence and President Clinton called the attack a ``real blow'' to the region.

In New York, U.N. General Assembly President Theo-Ben Gurirab of Namibia interrupted the meeting to tell delegates the Armenian mission had informed him of the shootings.

Clinton said he was ``shocked and saddened'' by the attack, which he called ``a senseless act against individuals actively engaged in building democracy in their country.''

He later told reporters it was ``a real blow to that country and to that region.'' Iran condemned the attack as criminal and hoped the hostage-takers would be brought to justice.

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said he was afraid the incident could increase instability in the Caucasus.

Gunmen Say Karabakh Issue Not To Blame

Unanyan, speaking to Reuters, said his actions were not directly linked with talks to resolve the dispute with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

``This is not an issue of Karabakh, although Karabakh is a part of it (in the context of) the general situation in our country,'' he said.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have held recent talks on ending the dispute over Karabakh, where ethnic Armenian separatists fought a war with Azerbaijan before a cease-fire in 1994. Some analysts say the talks have made progress and may shortly bear fruit.