This is really weird to me.
This isn't the MO of a AlQaeda-esque groups we're used to.
They're really acting like the terrorists that were more prevalent during the 70s.
Change of tactic, perhaps. Madrid was also different from the norm- remote detonation.
That's because there's no single coherent organization named "al-Qaeda". There are hundred different al-Qaeda's in the world... some chose to adopt that name, others merely consider themselvers allied with or inspired by al-Qaeda.
Of course, but many of them do take on similar tactics - they tend to prefer swift attacks. This is really different.