ANKARA, June 22 (Reuters) - Iran called on its regional rival Saudi Arabia on Thursday to free Iranian fishermen, pay compensation for killing a sailor and punish those behind the "irresponsible act", the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Iranian media reported last week that Saudi border guards opened fire on an Iranian fishing boat in the Gulf, killing a fisherman.

The Saudi Information Ministry said it had detained three members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards in the incident.

"The fishermen were not armed ... Saudi guards killed one of the sailors by opening fire on the boats," Fars quoted a statement published by Iran's Interior Ministry.

"Those detained fishermen should be freed ... compensation should be paid for the one killed and those involved in the irresponsible act should be punished."



(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Alison Williams) ((parisa.hafezi@thomsonreuters.com; +90 532 176 3452; Reuters Messaging: parisa.hafezi@thomsonreuters.com))