Three brothers have been arrested in Norway linked to an explosion outside the US embassy in the capital, Oslo, on Sunday.

The authorities believe the blast was caused by an improvised device that was placed at the building's entrance. It caused minor damage and no injuries were reported.

The brothers, all in their 20s, are Norwegian citizens with links to Iraq, Norway's police attorney Christian Hatlo told a press conference on Wednesday.

Among them is thought to be a suspect police had previously had released images of, broadcaster NRK reported.

"They are suspected of a terror bombing," Hatlo said. None of the brothers, who have not been named, were previously known to police.