Troops from the Albert Lea branch of the Minnesota National Guard have been called up to protect areas around the state.

Twelve soldiers were called up Thursday to protect facilities including two nuclear power plants, two oil refineries, and water mains in St. Paul and Minneapolis, according to Lt. Denny Shields, spokesman for the Minnesota National Guard.

The names of the soldiers were not released, and officials at the Albert Lea National Guard Training and Community Center refused to

comment on the call ups. Guard members also would not comment.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty decided to deploy 262 troops statewide to secure the six sites as well as the state Emergency Operations center in St. Paul, according to the Star Tribune.

With war in Iraq underway and the nation’s terror alert high, there have been concerns about possible terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.