The recent arrests of dozens of people suspected of plotting to disrupt 2024’s Indonesian elections are a sobering reminder of the persistent threat posed by terrorist groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD).

Behind the headline numbers lurk the problem of recidivism. The return of freed terrorists to their old networks is bound up with the tenacity of these groups and the danger they pose to Indonesia’s security and democratic processes. The inability to break the cycle of violence merits closer attention in view of the latest round-up of terror suspects.