When the air fuel ratio dither control is carried out, an air fuel ratio of a mixture in each of one or more lean cylinders and one or more rich cylinders is controlled in a feedback manner based on an average value of a detected value of an air fuel ratio sensor, so that an average value of an air fuel ratio of exhaust gas flowing into the three-way catalyst becomes a predetermined target exhaust gas air fuel ratio. At this time, the air fuel ratio dither control is carried out, by setting at least a cylinder with the highest gas impingement intensity in a cylinder group of an internal combustion engine as the one or more lean cylinders.