An object of the present invention is to cause diesel combustion to occur with reduced smoke in an internal combustion engine using a fuel having a relatively high self-ignition temperature. A control apparatus performs first injection at a first injection time during the compression stroke, causes spray guide combustion to occur, and starts to perform second injection at such a second injection time after the occurrence of the spray guide combustion and before the top dead center of the compression stroke that causes combustion of injected fuel to be started by flame generated by the spray guide combustion, thereby causing self-ignition and diffusion combustion of fuel to occur. In an operation range in which the engine load is higher than a predetermined load, the apparatus performs third injection at such a third injection time before the first injection time during the compression stroke that causes the fuel injected by said third injection to be burned by self-ignition or diffusion combustion after the start of the second injection.