Police spokeswoman Julia Barrera says the soldiers were detained Thursday on charges that included mistreatment of minors.
The army filed a complaint about the incident after the video surfaced. In the video, uniformed soldiers with rifles punch, slap, kick and knee two boys against a wall.
The incident occurred July 26 in the township of San Pedro Yepocapa in the department of Chimaltenango about 55 miles (88 kilometers) northwest of the capital.
