I can’t with 100% certainty say that I am correct, but when al Qaeda operates in an area for years on end, and then ISIS pops up in the same exact location, it’s hard for me to think they’re not jumping between squads.
They are supposed to be different sects. Sure doesn’t look like it on game day.
It’s more about power and pay for play IMO.
It’s why they can’t seem to hold squads together too.
ISIS was pretty large at one point. It came out of nowhere and vaporized about as quickly.
This is certainly true, but both Al Quaeda and ISIS are Sunni organizations. What you don't get is fighters moving from Hizbollah (Iran-sponsored Shi'ites) to ISIS (Sunni) or vice-versa, as this would basically require a "denominational" conversion. Think of Catholic vs. Protestant during the 30 years war.
At length Sam stirred. 'Well, I call that neat as neat,' he said. 'If this nice friendliness would spread about in Mordor, half our trouble would be over.'- J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings.
'Quietly, Sam,' Frodo whispered. 'There may be others about. We have evidently had a very narrow escape, and the hunt was hotter on our tracks than we guessed. But that is the spirit of Mordor, Sam; and it has spread to every corner of it. Orcs have always behaved like that, or so all tales say, when they are on their own. But you can't get much hope out of it. They hate us far more, altogether and all the time. If those two had seen us, they would have dropped all their quarrel until we were dead.